Experts for Leasehold Conveyancing in Croydon

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Croydon leasehold conveyancing: Q and A’s

My husband and I may need to sub-let our Croydon garden flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We used a Croydon conveyancing firm in 2004 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to get any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Some leases for properties in Croydon do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience suggests that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a studio apartment in Croydon. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they are sending me a report tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • You should be sent a copy of the lease
  • Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, freeholder
  • The total extent of the demise. This will be the property itself but could also include a roof space or cellar if applicable.
  • Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?
  • You should be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
  • 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 For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Croydon please ask your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Croydon

    • Last month I purchased a leasehold property in Croydon. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

    In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

    If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

    Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Croydon conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

    If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Croydon conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you speak with two or three firms including non Croydon conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

    • How experienced is the firm with lease extension legislation?
  • What are the legal fees for lease extension conveyancing?

    • All being well we will complete the disposal of our £350000 garden flat in Croydon on Monday in a week. The management company has quoted £420 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Croydon?

    Croydon conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes more often than not involves the purchaser’s lawyer submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to such questions most will be content to do so. They are at liberty levy a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it is in excess of £800. The administration charge levied by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the charge is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that you have no choice but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to sell the property.

    After months of correspondence we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Croydon. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

    Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Croydon conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Croydon property is 29 Woodstock Road in April 2014. the Tribunal determined that the premiums to be paid into court in respect of the purchase of the freehold registered at HMLR under Title N0.SY3997 should be £7,217. This case related to 4 flats. The the number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 98 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Croydon