Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Howden. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is registered - and most are in Howden - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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.

You should [be sent a copy of the lease|receive a copy of the lease]

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a leasehold property in Howden. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they report fully tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• The physical extent of the property. This will be the flat itself but might include a roof space or basement if applicable.
• Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?
• Whether the lease restricts you from letting out the flat, or having a home office for business
• You must be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
• Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?
• Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)

For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Howden please ask your conveyancer in ahead of your conveyancing in Howden

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Howden. Do I have any liability for 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. Strange as it may seem, 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 ensure 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).

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Howden conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Howden conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you talk with two or three firms including non Howden conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be helpful:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?
• What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Howden in the last 12 months?

We expect to complete the sale of our £ 175000 maisonette in Howden in just under a week. The managing agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Howden?

Howden conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually involves fees being invoiced by freeholders :

• Completing pre-exchange enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Howden
• 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 solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Howden leasehold property is £350. For Howden 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 obliged to supply the information.

I am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in Howden, conveyancing having been completed 3 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar properties in Howden with a long lease are worth £195,000. The ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2083

You have 57 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £27,600 and £31,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.