I want to sublet my leasehold flat in Llanfyrnach. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

Even though your last Llanfyrnach conveyancing lawyer is not available you can review your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the property. The rule is that if the lease is silent, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you need to seek consent from your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. This means that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. Such consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If your lease prohibits you from subletting the property you should ask your landlord for their consent.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to be perfect, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Llanfyrnach. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Llanfyrnach ?

Most houses in Llanfyrnach are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Llanfyrnach in which case you should be shopping around for a Llanfyrnach conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Llanfyrnach. Conveyancing and Bank of Ireland mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing solicitor in Llanfyrnach who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Llanfyrnach conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Last month I purchased a leasehold house in Llanfyrnach. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

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. However, 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).

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Llanfyrnach conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Llanfyrnach conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you talk with two or three firms including non Llanfyrnach conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be useful:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?

Llanfyrnach Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

It would be a good idea to enquire if the the lease includes any onerous restrictions in the lease. For example some leases prohibit pets being permitted in in a block in Llanfyrnach. If you love the flatin Llanfyrnach however your cat can’t make the move with you then you will be presented with a hard choice. What prohibitions are contained in the Llanfyrnach Lease? Best to be warned if fixing the lift or some other major work is due in the foreseeable future that will be shared amongst the leasehold owners and could well materially increase the the service costs or necessitate a one off invoice.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Llanfyrnach