I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Colney Hatch. Before diving in I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Colney Hatch - 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 wish to rent out my leasehold apartment in Colney Hatch. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

Even though your last Colney Hatch conveyancing lawyer is no longer available you can review your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the apartment. The accepted inference is that if the lease is silent, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you must seek consent via your landlord or some other party in advance of subletting. This means that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining consent. Such consent is not allowed to be unreasonably turned down. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord for their consent.

I've found a house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Colney Hatch. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Colney Hatch ?

The majority of houses in Colney Hatch are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Colney Hatch so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Colney Hatch conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be entirely free 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 maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

I am a negotiator for a long established estate agent office in Colney Hatch where we have witnessed a number of flat sales put at risk due to short leases. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Colney Hatch conveyancing firms. Please can you confirm whether the seller of a flat can start the lease extension process for the buyer?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. 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 extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord 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.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the disposal of our £ 225000 flat in Colney Hatch in six days. The freeholder has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Colney Hatch?

Colney Hatch conveyancing on leasehold flats normally involves the buyer’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to respond to such questions the majority will be willing to assist. They may invoice a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The management information fee required by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of rights and obligations in respect of administration fees, otherwise the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality one has no option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to complete the sale of your home.

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 Colney Hatch. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

in cases where there is a absentee 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 LVT to determine the sum to be paid.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Colney Hatch flat is 90 & 96 Poplar Grove in June 2013. It was held by the Tribunal that the premium to be paid for the new lease in respect of each of the flats referred should be £17,942 This case was in relation to 2 flats. The remaining number of years on the lease was 68 years.

I am the registered owner of a leasehold flat in Colney Hatch, conveyancing was carried out 7 years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Colney Hatch with a long lease are worth £210,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2081

With just 55 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £29,500 and £34,000 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.