I wish to rent out my leasehold apartment in Hartford. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Even though your previous Hartford conveyancing lawyer is no longer around you can review your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the property. The rule is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you need to obtain permission from your landlord or other appropriate person in advance of subletting. This means that you cannot sublet without prior permission. Such consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed apartment in Hartford.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

It best that you clear the invoice 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 management companies 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Hartford. Conveyancing advisers have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Hartford ?

Most houses in Hartford are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Hartford in which case you should be looking for a Hartford conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will appraise you on the various issues.

I am attracted to a couple of flats in Hartford both have approximately 50 years unexpired on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in Hartford. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a period of time. As the lease shortens the value of the lease deteriorate and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is advisable to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We recommend you get professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena

What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Hartford conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Hartford conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Hartford conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be useful:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?

Hartford Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

For many Hartford leaseholds the outlay for major works tend not to be built into the service charges, although there some managing agents in Hartford require tenants to contribute towards a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger works. What restrictions are contained in the Hartford Lease? Is there a share of the freehold?

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Lease Extensions in Hartford