Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Bankside. Before diving in I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and almost all are in Bankside - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title.For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I am intending to sublet my leasehold flat in Bankside. 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 Bankside do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience suggests 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 consent.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Bankside with the aim of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Bankside can be avoided if you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ lawyers.
• The majority landlords or managing agents in Bankside charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management information can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Bankside.

If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Bankside state that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such alterations. Where you dont have the consents to hand you should not contact the landlord without checking with your lawyer first.

If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should make sure that you hold the original share document. Organising a duplicate share certificate can be a lengthy formality and slows down many a Bankside home move. Where a new share certificate is necessary, 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 you should verify this via your conveyancers. A purchaser's lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is less than 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term for your property needs extending. 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 the disposal of our £125000 apartment in Bankside next week. The freeholder has quoted £372 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Bankside?

Bankside conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes ordinarily necessitates fees being raised by freeholders :

• Answering pre-exchange enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Bankside
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Bankside leasehold premises is £350. For Bankside 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 obliged to supply the information.

I have had difficulty in trying to purchase the freehold in Bankside. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Bankside conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Bankside residence is 1-41 Royal Tower Lodge 40 Cartwright Street in April 2013. the tribunal adding the agreed value of capitalised ground rents and the reversion the price to be paid for the freehold was £1,187,000 This case was in relation to 41 flats. The unexpired lease term was 107 years.

What makes a Bankside lease defective?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Bankside. All leases is drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain sections are missing. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the premises
• Insurance obligations
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

You could have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Birmingham Midshires, Coventry Building Society, and Clydesdale 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 is defective they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to pull out.