Harry (my fiance) and I may need to sub-let our Ladywood garden flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We instructed a Ladywood conveyancing practice in 2003 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to seek any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Ladywood do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to see 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.

Expecting to complete next month on a leasehold property in Ladywood. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they are sending me a report next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• The length of the lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and aware of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years
• The total extent of the property. This will be the flat itself but may include a roof space or basement if applicable.
• Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?
• Are pets allowed in the flat?
• Whether the lease restricts you from subletting the flat, or working from home
• You should be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
• An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor flat in Ladywood.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a half-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 management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until 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.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Ladywood conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Ladywood conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you make enquires with several firms including non Ladywood conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be useful:

• If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
• What volume of lease extensions has the firm completed in Ladywood in the last 12 months?

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the disposal of our £ 200000 apartment in Ladywood next Wednesday . The management company has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Ladywood?

Ladywood conveyancing on leasehold flats usually involves the buyer’s lawyer sending questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to these enquiries the majority will be willing to assist. They may charge a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it is in excess of £800. The administration charge demanded by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the invoice is technically not due. Reality however dictates that you have little choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

Ladywood Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

Plenty Ladywood leasehold flats will be liable to pay a service bill for the upkeep of the building levied on behalf of the freeholder. If you purchase the property you will have to meet this contribution, normally in instalments throughout the year. This can vary from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built blocks. In all probability there will be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, normally this is not a large figure, say about £50-£100 but you need to enquire as on occasion it can be many hundreds of pounds. What prohibitions are contained in the Ladywood Lease?