I wish to sublet my leasehold apartment in Great Barford. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?

Notwithstanding that your last Great Barford conveyancing lawyer is no longer around you can check your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the apartment. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you are obliged to seek permission from your landlord or some other party before subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet without first obtaining consent. Such consent is not allowed to be unreasonably withheld. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor apartment in Great Barford.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just had a quarterly service charge invoice – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is clear the service charge as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to be perfect, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Great Barford. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Great Barford are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Great Barford so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Great Barford conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.

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

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element 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).

Completion in due on the sale of our £450000 apartment in Great Barford next Thursday . The landlords agents has quoted £336 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Great Barford?

Great Barford conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes ordinarily results in fees being raised by managing agents :

• Completing conveyancing due diligence enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Great Barford
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Great Barford leasehold property is £350. For Great Barford conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to provide answers.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Great Barford - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

The best form of lease arrangement is where the freehold interest is owned by the leaseholders. In this situation the tenants enjoy control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is often retained where it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? Plenty Great Barford leasehold flats will have a service charge for the upkeep of the building invoiced by the landlord. Where you acquire the flat you will have to pay this liability, usually in instalments during the year. This may be anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common grounds. There will also be a rentcharge to be met annual, ordinarily this is not a exorbitant figure, say approximately £50-£100 but you need to check it because sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Great Barford