I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Huddersfield. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Huddersfield - 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.

My fiance and I may need to let out our Huddersfield basement flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We used a Huddersfield conveyancing firm in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time get any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your last Huddersfield conveyancing lawyer is not around you can review your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the property. The rule is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you must seek consent from your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet in the absence of prior permission. Such consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Huddersfield. Conveyancing and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1994. The conveyancing solicitor in Huddersfield who previously acted has long since retired.Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a Huddersfield conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two maisonettes in Huddersfield which have in the region of forty five years remaining on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There are plenty of short leases in Huddersfield. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As a lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease deteriorate and results in it becoming more costly to extend the lease. For this reason it is often a good idea to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We recommend you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this field

We expect to complete the sale of our £475000 maisonette in Huddersfield next week. The management company has quoted £300 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Huddersfield?

Huddersfield conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes typically results in fees being raised by freeholders :

• Addressing pre-exchange enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Huddersfield
• 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 Huddersfield leasehold premises is £350. For Huddersfield 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.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Huddersfield - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

What is the name of the managing agents? In the main the cost for major works are not included within service charges, although a few managing agents in Huddersfield ask leaseholders to pay into a reserve fund and this is used to offset against major works. Are there any major works in the planning that will increase the service charges?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Huddersfield