I am intending to let out my leasehold flat in Finchley. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Even though your last Finchley conveyancing lawyer is not available you can check your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the property. The rule is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you must obtain consent from your landlord or other appropriate person in advance of subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet without first obtaining consent. The consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If your lease prohibits you from letting out the property you should ask your landlord for their consent.

Due to complete next month on a garden flat in Finchley. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

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

• Setting out your rights in respect of common areas in the building.For example, does the lease provide for a right of way over an accessway or staircase?
• You must be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
• 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
• Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
• Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice?
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have just discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Finchley. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Finchley ?

The majority of houses in Finchley are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Finchley in which case you should be shopping around for a Finchley conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee 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’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer should advise you fully on all the issues.

I work for a reputable estate agency in Finchley where we have experienced a few flat sales jeopardised as a result of short leases. I have been given contradictory information from local Finchley conveyancing solicitors. Can you confirm whether the seller of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.

An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord 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 buyer.

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

When appointing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Finchley conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Finchley conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be of use:

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

I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord to extend my lease without any joy. Can I make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Finchley conveyancing firm to help?

You certainly can. We are happy to put you in touch with a Finchley conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Finchley premises is Ground Floor 110 Station Road in June 2013. The Tribunal found that the premium payable for a lease extension should be £31,665. This case was in relation to 1 flat. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 56.65 years.

I am the registered owner of a 1st floor flat in Finchley, conveyancing formalities finalised 2007. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar properties in Finchley with an extended lease are worth £166,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2104

With only 78 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £10,500 and £12,000 as well as professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.