Frank (my husband) and I may need to sub-let our Llanelli basement flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We used a Llanelli conveyancing practice in 2003 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to get any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Even though your last Llanelli conveyancing solicitor is no longer available you can check your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the apartment. The accepted inference 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 in advance of subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet without prior permission. Such consent is not allowed to be unreasonably turned down. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

I am hoping to sign contracts shortly on a garden flat in Llanelli. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they are sending me a report on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

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

• The physical extent of the property. This will be the apartment itself but could also incorporate a roof space or basement if applicable.
• Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?
• You must 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
• Whether your lease has a provision for a reserve fund?
• You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
• I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required

Last month I purchased a leasehold flat in Llanelli. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

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. However, 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 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).

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Llanelli from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Llanelli can be reduced if you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ solicitors.
• The majority landlords or managing agents in Llanelli charge for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Llanelli.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Llanelli leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such works. Where you dont have the consents in place do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer first.
• If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should make sure that you hold the original share document. Obtaining a re-issued share certificate can be a time consuming formality and delays many a Llanelli conveyancing transaction. If a new share is needed, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if relevant) for this sooner rather than later.
• You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but you should double-check via your solicitors. A purchaser's lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the lease term is below 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the sale of our £ 425000 garden flat in Llanelli next Wednesday . The managing agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Llanelli?

Llanelli conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually involves the purchaser’s solicitor submitting enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions the majority will be willing to assist. They are entitled levy a reasonable charge for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it is in excess of £800. The administration charge levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of rights and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the invoice is technically not due. In reality one has little choice but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to complete the sale of your home.

Llanelli Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

The answer will be useful as a) areas could cause problems in the building as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate where services are not paid for b) if the leasehold owners have a dispute with the managing agents you will wish to have complete disclosure Please note if it is fewer than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the value of the apartment. Check with your bank that they are happy with residual term of the lease. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will almost definitely have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of what this would cost. For most Llanellilease extensions you would need to own the property for a couple of years in order to be entitled to carry out a lease extension.