I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Chalk Farm. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Chalk Farm - 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 today plan to offer on a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently been informed that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Chalk Farm. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Chalk Farm are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Chalk Farm so you should seriously consider looking for a Chalk Farm conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the freeholder’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer will appraise you on the various issues.

I am looking at a two maisonettes in Chalk Farm which have about 50 years unexpired on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in Chalk Farm. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a period of time. As a lease gets shorter the value of the lease reduces and results in it becoming more costly to extend the lease. For this reason it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. It is often difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We advise that you get professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena

I am employed by a reputable estate agent office in Chalk Farm where we see a number of flat sales put at risk as a result of short leases. I have been given contradictory information from local Chalk Farm conveyancing solicitors. Please can you clarify whether the owner of a flat can initiate the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Chalk Farm conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Chalk Farm conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you talk with two or three firms including non Chalk Farm conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be of use:

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

Having spent months of correspondence we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Chalk Farm. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

if there is a absentee landlord or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the LVT to assess the amount due.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Chalk Farm premises is Flat 2 27 Mackeson Road in December 2012. The Tribunal assessed the value of the lease extension premium at £35,435 and rounded the figure to £35,500 This case affected 1 flat. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 64.77 years.

I am the registered owner of a 1st floor flat in Chalk Farm, conveyancing formalities finalised 2005. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding flats in Chalk Farm with an extended lease are worth £225,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 per annum. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2089

With just 63 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £18,100 and £20,800 plus professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.