You should [be sent a copy of the lease|receive a copy of the lease]

Planning to exchange soon on a ground floor flat in Crayford. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they report fully next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• The unexpired lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and informed of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years
• The physical extent of the premises. This will be the apartment itself but might incorporate a loft or cellar if appropriate.
• Defining your rights in respect of common areas in the building.E.G., does the lease include a right of way over an accessway or staircase?
• You need to be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames
• What you can do if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease?
• 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 Crayford please ask your conveyancer in ahead of your conveyancing in Crayford

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Crayford. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Crayford are freehold and not 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 buying in Crayford in which case you should be looking for a Crayford conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer will advise you fully on all the issues.

I am a negotiator for a busy estate agent office in Crayford where we have experienced a number of flat sales put at risk due to short leases. I have received conflicting advice from local Crayford conveyancing solicitors. Please can you shed some light as to whether the vendor of a flat can instigate 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 commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer can avoid having to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, 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 purchaser.

What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Crayford conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Crayford conveyancing firm) it is imperative 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 Crayford conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be helpful:

• What volume of lease extensions has the firm conducted in Crayford in the last twenty four months?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Crayford who can give a testimonial?

All being well we will complete the disposal of our £ 425000 maisonette in Crayford in six days. The freeholder has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Crayford?

Crayford conveyancing on leasehold flats nine out of ten times involves fees being raised by landlords agents :

• Addressing conveyancing due diligence questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Crayford
• 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 Crayford leasehold property is £350. For Crayford 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.

My wife and I have hit a brick wall in negotiating a lease extension in Crayford. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

Where there is a absentee landlord or where there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to make a decision on the price.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Crayford premises is Various @ Colombus Square in January 2012. the Tribunal calculated the premiums to be paid for new leases for each of the flats in Mariners Walk to be £3822 and the premium to be paid for the new lease of 2 Knights Court to be £4439. This case affected 13 flats. The remaining number of years on the lease was 76 years.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Crayford - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Where a Crayford lease has no more than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the salability of the apartment. It is worth checking with your lender that they are willing to to proceed given the lease term. A short lease means that you will probably require a lease extension sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out what this will be. Remember, in most cases you would need to own the property for a couple of years before you are eligible to extend the lease.