I would like to sublet my leasehold apartment in Aldwych. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?

The lease dictates relations between the landlord and you the flat owner; specifically, it will set out if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. The majority of leases in Aldwych do not contain subletting altogether – such a clause would undoubtedly devalue the flat. In most cases there is simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a duplicate of the sublease.

You should [be sent a copy of the lease|receive a copy of the lease]

I am hoping to complete next month on a ground floor flat in Aldwych. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they report fully on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Aldwych 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 the 80 year mark
• Does the lease prevent you from renting out the flat, or working from home
• Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
• The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
• Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice?
• What options are open to you if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease?

For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Aldwych please enquire of your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Aldwych

I own a leasehold house in Aldwych. Conveyancing and Bank of Scotland mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing solicitor in Aldwych who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Aldwych conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Aldwych from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Aldwych can be reduced if you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers conveyancers.
• The majority freeholders or Management Companies in Aldwych charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Aldwych.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Aldwych leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Should you dont have the approvals in place you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your conveyancer first.
• If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should ensure that you hold the original share document. Obtaining a re-issued share certificate is often a time consuming process and delays many a Aldwych home move. If a reissued share certificate is required, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later.
• You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be advisable double-check by asking your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is below 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete our sale of a £ 375000 garden flat in Aldwych in just under a week. The freeholder has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Aldwych?

Aldwych conveyancing on leasehold apartments nine out of ten times involves fees being invoiced by freeholders :

• Addressing pre-contract enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Aldwych
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Aldwych leasehold property is £350. For Aldwych conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to supply the information.

After months of correspondence we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Aldwych. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

Most certainly. We can put you in touch with a Aldwych conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Aldwych residence is 20 Avonwick Road in July 2013. The Tribunal was dealing with an application under Section 26 of the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 for a determination of the freehold value of the property. It was concluded that the price to be paid was Fifteen Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy (£15,970) divided as to £8,200 for Flat 20 and £7,770 for Flat 20A This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired term was 73.26 years.

Aldwych Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries Prior to buying

Best to be warned if redecorating or some other major work is pending that will be shared between the tenants and will dramatically impact the level of the maintenance charges or require a specific payment. In the main the cost for major works are not wrapped into the maintenance charges, although a few managing agents in Aldwych obliged leasehold owners to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific purpose of establishing a fund for larger works. Does the lease have onerous restrictions?