Leasehold Conveyancing in Hastings - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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Leasehold conveyancing in Hastings is more complex than freehold. Your home move will be smoother where you choose a lawyer with a wealth of experience of leasehold conveyancing in Hastings and throughout next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Hastings leasehold conveyancing Example Support Desk Enquiries

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Fifty years unexpired on my lease in Hastings. I now wish to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What should I do?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the magistrate. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to locate the landlord. For most situations an enquiry agent should be useful to carry out a search and to produce a report to be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Hastings.

I am hoping to exchange soon on a basement flat in Hastings. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they are sending me a report next week. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, freeholder
  • Defining your legal entitlements in respect of common areas in the building.By way of example, does the lease grant a right of way over a path or staircase?
  • You must be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this will change in the future
  • The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
  • Responsibility for repairing the window frames
  • What options are open to you if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease? For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Hastings please enquire of your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Hastings

    • What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Hastings conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

    If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Hastings 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 speak with two or three firms including non Hastings conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be helpful:

    • What volume of lease extensions has the firm conducted in Hastings in the last twenty four months?
  • What are the charges for lease extension conveyancing?

    • Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Hastings with the intention of saving time on the sale process?

    • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Hastings can be avoided if you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers lawyers.
    • The majority landlords or managing agents in Hastings levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack sought on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Hastings.
  • A minority of Hastings leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
  • If there is a history of any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as over as opposed to unsettled.
  • You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to double-check by asking your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is below 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

    • We expect to complete our sale of a £200000 apartment in Hastings next Tuesday . The landlords agents has quoted £300 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Hastings?

    Hastings conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally requires the buyer’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address these enquiries most will be content to assist. They may invoice a reasonable charge for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it exceeds £800. The management information fee required by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration charges, without which the invoice is technically not due. Reality however dictates that one has little choice but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

    Hastings Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries before buying

      How is the lease structured? What is the maintenance charge and ground rent on the flat? What is the the remaining lease term?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Hastings