Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Friern Barnet. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Friern Barnet - 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 sublet my leasehold flat in Friern Barnet. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Notwithstanding that your last Friern Barnet conveyancing lawyer is not available you can review your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the apartment. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you must seek permission from your landlord or some other party prior to subletting. This means that you cannot sublet without prior permission. The consent must not not be unreasonably turned down. If your lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Friern Barnet. Conveyancing advisers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Friern Barnet ?

The majority of houses in Friern Barnet are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Friern Barnet so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Friern Barnet conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the freeholder’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor should report to you on the legal implications.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Friern Barnet conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Friern Barnet conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you make enquires with several firms including non Friern Barnet conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?

Can they put you in touch with client in Friern Barnet who can give a testimonial?

We expect to complete our sale of a £175000 apartment in Friern Barnet in just under a week. The freeholder has quoted £384 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Friern Barnet?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Friern Barnet conveyancing will involve, questions about the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Completing pre-exchange enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Friern Barnet
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Friern Barnet leasehold premises is £350. For Friern Barnet conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to provide answers.

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

Where there is a missing landlord or where 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 judgment on the price payable.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Friern Barnet property is 90 & 96 Poplar Grove in June 2013. It was held by the Tribunal that the premium to be paid for the new lease in respect of each of the flats referred should be £17,942 This case was in relation to 2 flats. The the unexpired term as at the valuation date was 68 years.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Friern Barnet