I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Dartmouth Park. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

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

Notwithstanding that your last Dartmouth Park conveyancing lawyer is not available you can review your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the property. The rule is that if the lease is non-specific, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you need to seek consent via your landlord or some other party before subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet in the absence of first obtaining consent. The consent should not be unreasonably turned down. If your lease prohibits you from letting out the property you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

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

I am hoping to exchange soon on a studio apartment in Dartmouth Park. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they will have a report out to me next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Dartmouth Park should include some of the following:

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
• Setting out your legal entitlements in relation to common areas in the block.For instance, does the lease grant a right of way over a path or hallways?
• Whether your lease has a provision for a reserve fund?
• The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building
• What options are open to you if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease?
• What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease?

For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Dartmouth Park please enquire of your conveyancer in advance of your conveyancing in Dartmouth Park

I am looking at a two maisonettes in Dartmouth Park which have in the region of 50 years left on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?

A lease is a right to use the property for a period of time. As a lease shortens the saleability of the lease deteriorate and it becomes more expensive to extend the lease. This is why it is generally wise to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We recommend you get professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Dartmouth Park. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

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).

I own a two-bedroom flat in Dartmouth Park. Given that I can not reach agreement with the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the premium due for the purchase of the freehold?

if there is a absentee freeholder or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, 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 judgment on the premium.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Dartmouth Park flat 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 remaining number of years on the lease was 64.77 years.

Dartmouth Park Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

Are there any major works on the horizon that will increase the maintenance costs? This question is useful as a) areas can result in problems for the block as the common areas may start to deteriorate where repairs are not paid for b) if the leasehold owners have a dispute with the managing agents you will wish to know about it