Leasehold Conveyancing in Llanrumney - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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Llanrumney leasehold conveyancing: Q and A’s

I wish to rent out my leasehold flat in Llanrumney. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Is permission from the freeholder required?

A small minority of properties in Llanrumney do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord cannot unreasonably withhold 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.

I am hoping to sign contracts shortly on a garden flat in Llanrumney. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Llanrumney should include some of the following:

  • How long the lease is You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and aware of the importance of the 80 year mark
  • Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice?
  • The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building
  • Responsibility for repairing the window frames For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Llanrumney please ask your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Llanrumney

    • I own a leasehold flat in Llanrumney. Conveyancing and Leeds Building Society mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Llanrumney who previously acted has now retired.Any advice?

    First contact HMLR to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a Llanrumney conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

    Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Llanrumney with the aim of expediting the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Llanrumney can be reduced where you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ solicitors.
    • If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Llanrumney leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. If you fail to have the approvals to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your lawyer in the first instance.
  • Some Llanrumney leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers.
  • If you have had conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where a dispute is unresolved. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to unresolved.
  • You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to verify this by asking your lawyers. A purchaser's conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is less than 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 premises on the market for sale.

    • Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on our sale of a £325000 flat in Llanrumney next week. The freeholder has quoted £408 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Llanrumney?

    Llanrumney conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes more often than not involves the purchaser’s lawyer submitting questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions most will be content to assist. They are at liberty levy a reasonable charge for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The management information fee levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in respect of administration fees, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that one has little option but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to complete the sale of your home.

    Llanrumney Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries before buying

      On the whole the cost for major works are not wrapped into the service charges, albeit that a few managing agents in Llanrumney require leasehold owners to pay into a reserve fund and this is used to offset against major works. Many Llanrumney leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service charge for the upkeep of the block levied by the freeholder. Where you acquire the property you will have to meet this contribution, usually quarterly during the year. This can vary from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal areas. There will also be a rentcharge to be met yearly, this is usually not a significant figure, say approximately £50-£100 but you should to enquire as sometimes it could be many hundreds of pounds. How much is the ground rent and service charge?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Llanrumney