I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Gospel Oak. Before I get started I would like to find out the remaining lease term.

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

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a ground floor flat in Gospel Oak. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they are sending me a report on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

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

• Does the lease require carpeting throughout thus preventing wood flooring?

Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat?

Does the lease prevent you from letting out the property, or working from home

Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change

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

Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?

What you can do if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease? For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Gospel Oak please ask your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Gospel Oak

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Gospel Oak. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to 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 choosing a Gospel Oak conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Gospel Oak conveyancing firm) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you speak with several firms including non Gospel Oak conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

• How familiar is the firm with lease extension legislation?

If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?

Completion in due on the disposal of our £400000 apartment in Gospel Oak next Tuesday . The management company has quoted £300 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Gospel Oak?

Gospel Oak conveyancing on leasehold apartments typically necessitates administration charges raised by freeholders :

• Completing pre-contract questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Gospel Oak
• 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 Gospel Oak leasehold premises is £350. For Gospel Oak 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 obliged to supply answers.

Following years of negotiations we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Gospel Oak. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

in cases where there is a absentee freeholder or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to judgment on the amount due.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Gospel Oak 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 the unexpired term as at the valuation date was 64.77 years.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Gospel Oak