I am intending to rent out my leasehold apartment in Llanbedrog. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

Some leases for properties in Llanbedrog 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 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 permission.

Planning to complete next month on a ground floor flat in Llanbedrog. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they will have a report out to me on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• Whether the lease restricts you from letting out the property, or working from home

I have just appointed agents to market my garden flat in Llanbedrog.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a half-yearly service charge demand – what should I do?

It best that you discharge 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Llanbedrog. 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 owner 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. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure 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).

Are there common problems that you witness in leases for Llanbedrog properties?

Leasehold conveyancing in Llanbedrog is not unique. All leases are individual and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain provisions are not included. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the property
• A duty to insure the building
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

A defective lease can cause problems when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Yorkshire Building Society, Coventry Building Society, and Platform Home Loans Ltd all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to pull out.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Llanbedrog - A selection of Queries before buying

Best to be warned if changing the roof or some other major work is anticipated that will be shared between the leaseholders and could well dramatically increase the the service charges or necessitate a one off payment. Are there any major works anticipated that will likely increase the maintenance costs? Plenty Llanbedrog leasehold flats will have a service charge for maintenance of the building set by the freeholder. If you acquire the apartment you will have to pay this contribution, normally in instalments throughout the year. This can be anything from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built blocks. There will also be a ground rent to be met annual, ordinarily this is not a exorbitant sum, say approximately £50-£100 but you need to check it because on occasion it could be surprisingly expensive.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Llanbedrog