I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Dulwich. Before I get started I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Dulwich - 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.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my 2 bed flat in Dulwich.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should 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 management companies 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Dulwich. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner 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. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure 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).

What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Dulwich conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Dulwich conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Dulwich conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be useful:

• What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Dulwich in the last 12 months?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Dulwich who can give a testimonial?

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Dulwich from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Dulwich can be bypassed if you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers conveyancers.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Dulwich leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord approving such changes. Should you fail to have the paperwork to hand you should not contact the landlord without checking with your conveyancer in advance.
• If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to 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 better to present the dispute as over rather than ongoing.
• If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should make sure that you are holding the original share certificate. Organising a duplicate share certificate is often a lengthy process and delays many a Dulwich conveyancing deal. Where a duplicate share is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if relevant) for this as soon as possible.
• You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to double-check by asking your conveyancers. A buyer’s lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is under 75 years. In the circumstances it is 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 have had difficulty in trying to purchase the freehold in Dulwich. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

if there is a missing freeholder or if there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to determine the price.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Dulwich property is 60 Taymount Grange Taymount Rise in June 2012. The Tribunal determined the premium at £13,346 for a lease extension of a further 90 years This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired term was 64 years.

I purchased a split level flat in Dulwich, conveyancing formalities finalised 2005. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable flats in Dulwich with a long lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease runs out on 21st October 2081

With only 55 years left to run the likely cost is going to range between £25,700 and £29,600 as well as costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.