My husband and I may need to let out our Haydon Bridge ground floor flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Haydon Bridge conveyancing practice in 2001 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to get any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Haydon Bridge do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting consent.

Due to complete next month on a garden flat in Haydon Bridge. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they will have a report out to me next week. What should I be looking out for?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Haydon Bridge should include some of the following:

• You should be sent a copy of the lease

Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?

Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change

Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)

Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice?

Responsibility for repairing the window frames

What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Haydon Bridge please ask your conveyancer in advance of your conveyancing in Haydon Bridge

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor apartment in Haydon Bridge.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should pay 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I own a leasehold house in Haydon Bridge. Conveyancing and Nottingham Building Society mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing practitioner in Haydon Bridge who previously acted has now retired.What should I do?

First contact HMLR to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Haydon Bridge conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

All being well we will complete our sale of a £250000 maisonette in Haydon Bridge next Monday . The managing agents has quoted £396 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Haydon Bridge?

Haydon Bridge conveyancing on leasehold apartments typically results in administration charges raised by managing agents :

• Addressing pre-exchange questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Haydon Bridge
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Haydon Bridge leasehold premises is £350. For Haydon Bridge 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 the information.

I invested in buying a split level flat in Haydon Bridge, conveyancing formalities finalised 2001. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent flats in Haydon Bridge with a long lease are worth £236,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2085

You have 60 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £24,700 and £28,600 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Haydon Bridge