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

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Blackfriars, you will need to appoint a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Halifax, Birmingham Midshires or NatWest make sure you find a lawyer on their approved list. Feel free to use our search tool

Recently asked questions relating to Blackfriars leasehold conveyancing

Helen (my wife) and I may need to let out our Blackfriars garden flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Blackfriars conveyancing firm in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your last Blackfriars conveyancing solicitor is not around you can check your lease to see 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 permission from your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet without first obtaining consent. Such consent must not not be unreasonably turned down. If the lease prohibits you from subletting the property you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 68 years remaining on my flat in Blackfriars. I now wish to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What should I do?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to find the freeholder. On the whole a specialist would be helpful to conduct investigations and to produce a report to be used as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on proving the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Blackfriars.

I’m about to sell my garden apartment in Blackfriars.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a quarterly service charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you pay the invoice as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I am looking at a couple of flats in Blackfriars which have approximately fifty years remaining on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There are plenty of short leases in Blackfriars. The lease is a right to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the saleability of the lease decreases and it becomes more expensive to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. Sometimes it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We recommend you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this area

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

  • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Blackfriars can be reduced where you instruct lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ lawyers.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s consent? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Blackfriars leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such works. Where you dont have the approvals to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your conveyancer in advance.
  • A minority of Blackfriars 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 obtain bank and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly 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 buyers or their lawyers.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should make sure that you hold the original share certificate. Obtaining a duplicate share certificate can be a lengthy process and frustrates many a Blackfriars conveyancing deal. Where a duplicate share is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity.
  • You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but you should double-check via your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is under 80 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

    • I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord to extend my lease without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such matters? Can you recommend a Blackfriars conveyancing firm to help?

    Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Blackfriars conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Blackfriars property is Flat 89 Trinity Court Grays Inn Road in February 2013. the Tribunal found that the premium to be paid by the tenant on the grant of a new lease, in accordance with section 56 and Schedule 13 to the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 should be £36,229. This case was in relation to 1 flat. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 66.8 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Blackfriars