I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Brondesbury. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Brondesbury - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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.

My partner and I may need to sub-let our Brondesbury basement flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We instructed a Brondesbury conveyancing practice in 2001 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time seek any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Brondesbury do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord cannot unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to see 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 permission.

I’m about to sell my basement flat in Brondesbury.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a quarterly service charge invoice – what should I do?

It best that you clear 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 managing agents 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 tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two maisonettes in Brondesbury both have in the region of forty five years unexpired on the lease term. should I be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in Brondesbury. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a period of time. As a lease shortens the marketability of the lease decreases and it becomes more expensive to extend the lease. For this reason it is advisable to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage companies may be unwilling to lend money on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We advise that you seek professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Brondesbury conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Brondesbury conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Brondesbury conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be useful:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Brondesbury who can give a testimonial?

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on such matters? Can you recommend a Brondesbury conveyancing firm to assist?

Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Brondesbury conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Brondesbury flat is 50a Cavendish Road in April 2014. The Tribunal determines that the premium payable by the Applicant in respect of the extension of the lease for the flat was £82,319. This case affected 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 49.26 years.

I invested in buying a 1st floor flat in Brondesbury, conveyancing having been completed 2009. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Similar properties in Brondesbury with a long lease are worth £228,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease ceases on 21st October 2102

With 76 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £11,400 and £13,200 as well as professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.