Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Grangetown. Before I get started I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Grangetown - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title.For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

My partner and I may need to let out our Grangetown ground floor flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Grangetown conveyancing firm in 2001 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time get any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your previous Grangetown conveyancing solicitor is not available you can review your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the property. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you need to obtain permission via your landlord or other appropriate person in advance of subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet without first obtaining consent. Such consent should not be unreasonably turned down. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Looking forward to complete next month on a ground floor flat in Grangetown. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they are sending me a report on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Grangetown should include some of the following:

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, freeholder
• Setting out your legal entitlements in respect of common areas in the building.For instance, does the lease contain a right of way over an accessway or hallways?
• You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
• Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
• The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building
• What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease?

I've found a house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have just discovered that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Grangetown. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Grangetown ?

The majority of houses in Grangetown are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Grangetown so you should seriously consider looking for a Grangetown conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the freeholder’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer should advise you fully on all the issues.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Grangetown. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Grangetown Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should ask before buying

Make sure you find out if there are any onerous prohibitions in the lease. By way of example it is fairly common in Grangetown leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in Grangetown. If you like the flatin Grangetown however your dog is not allowed to live with you then you have a very hard decision.