I would like to let out my leasehold apartment in Dollis Hill. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Notwithstanding that your last Dollis Hill conveyancing lawyer is no longer available you can check your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the property. The accepted inference is that if the lease is non-specific, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you are obliged to obtain consent from your landlord or other appropriate person in advance of subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet without prior consent. Such consent must not not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If your lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor flat in Dollis Hill.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a half-yearly service charge demand – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is pay the service charge as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have since found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Dollis Hill. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Dollis Hill ?

The majority of houses in Dollis Hill are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Dollis Hill in which case you should be shopping around for a Dollis Hill conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your conveyancer should report to you on the legal implications.

I own a leasehold house in Dollis Hill. Conveyancing and Coventry Building Society mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Dollis Hill who acted for me is not around.Do I pay?

First contact the Land Registry to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Dollis Hill conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Dollis Hill from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Dollis Hill can be bypassed if you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Dollis Hill leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Should you fail to have the paperwork to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor before hand.
• A minority of Dollis Hill leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
• If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where a dispute is unsettled. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over rather than unsettled.
• You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to double-check via your lawyers. A buyer’s lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the remaining number of years is less than 80 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

I own a a ground floor purpose built flat in Dollis Hill. 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 landlord or where there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to assess the price payable.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Dollis Hill flat is 12 & 12A Deacon Road in May 2010. the Tribunal concluded that the price to be paid for the freehold should be £38,287 This case related to 2 flats. The the unexpired term as at the valuation date was 65.58 years.

Dollis Hill Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries Prior to buying

How long is the Lease? Is anyone aware of any major works in the planning that will increase the maintenance charges?