I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Chiswick. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and most are in Chiswick - 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.

Due to sign contracts shortly on a garden flat in Chiswick. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they are sending me a report next week. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Chiswick should include some of the following:

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord

Defining your rights in respect of the communal areas in the block.For instance, does the lease permit a right of way over an accessway or hallways?

Does the lease prevent you from letting out the flat, or working from home

Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this will change in the future

An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has

Repair and maintenance of the flat

What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Chiswick please enquire of your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Chiswick

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two apartments in Chiswick which have approximately forty five years unexpired on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in Chiswick. The lease is a right to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As a lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease decreases and it becomes more expensive to extend the lease. For this reason it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on such properties. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We advise that you get professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the disposal of our £400000 maisonette in Chiswick in 10 days. The landlords agents has quoted £384 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Chiswick?

For most leasehold sales in Chiswick conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Addressing pre-contract enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Chiswick
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Chiswick leasehold premises is £350. For Chiswick 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 inherited a two-bedroom flat in Chiswick. In the absence of agreement between myself and the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount due for the purchase of the freehold?

Most certainly. We can put you in touch with a Chiswick conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Chiswick residence is Flat 1 30 Ennismore Avenue in September 2010. the Tribunal adopted and arrived at a premium for the lease extension of £29, 900 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 68.34 years.

What makes a Chiswick lease defective?

Leasehold conveyancing in Chiswick is not unique. All leases are individual and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are not included. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the property
• Insurance obligations
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

You will have difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Lloyds TSB Bank, Barnsley Building Society, and Nottingham Building Society all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Chiswick