Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Burnt Oak. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Burnt Oak - 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.

Jane (my partner) and I may need to sub-let our Burnt Oak basement flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We instructed a Burnt Oak conveyancing firm in 2002 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to seek any advice as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Even though your last Burnt Oak conveyancing solicitor is no longer around you can check your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the apartment. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you must seek permission from your landlord or other appropriate person before subletting. This means that you cannot sublet in the absence of prior consent. Such consent should not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease prohibits you from subletting the property you should ask your landlord for their consent.

I have just appointed agents to market my garden apartment in Burnt Oak.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a half-yearly service charge demand – Do I pay up?

It best that you clear the service charge 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 unless 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 today plan to offer on a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Burnt Oak. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Burnt Oak ?

Most houses in Burnt Oak are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Burnt Oak so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Burnt Oak conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the landlord’sconsent to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your solicitor will advise you fully on all the issues.

What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Burnt Oak conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Burnt Oak conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you speak with two or three firms including non Burnt Oak conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
• What are the legal fees for lease extension work?

Having spent years of correspondence we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Burnt Oak. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

if there is a missing freeholder or where there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to decide the price.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Burnt Oak premises is 20 Orchard Court Stonegrove in June 2009. The tribunal decided that a premium of £11,040 should be payable for the new lease This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired term was 71.55 years.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Burnt Oak - A selection of Queries before buying