I have recently realised that I have 68 years left on my flat in Hammersmith. I now wish to get lease extension but my landlord is can not be found. What are my options?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to track down the freeholder. For most situations a specialist would be helpful to conduct investigations and to produce a report to be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer both on devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Hammersmith.

Looking forward to exchange soon on a garden flat in Hammersmith. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they are sending me a report next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Hammersmith should include some of the following:

• How long the lease is You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and aware of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years
• The physical extent of the demise. This will be the flat itself but may incorporate a loft or basement if applicable.
• Setting out your legal entitlements in relation to common areas in the building.For instance, does the lease grant 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
• Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames

I've found a house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since found out that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Hammersmith. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Hammersmith ?

Most houses in Hammersmith are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Hammersmith in which case you should be looking for a Hammersmith conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor should appraise you on the various issues.

We expect to complete the sale of our £ 300000 flat in Hammersmith on Monday in a week. The managing agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Hammersmith?

Hammersmith conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally necessitates the purchaser’s solicitor submitting questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to address such questions the majority will be content to assist. They are entitled invoice a reasonable administration fee for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The administration charge demanded by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration charges, without which the invoice is technically not due. Reality however dictates that one has little choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without any joy. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on such matters? Can you recommend a Hammersmith conveyancing firm to help?

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

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Hammersmith residence is 19 Crisp Road in June 2009. Following a vesting order (Under section 26 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993) The tribunal determined that the premium payable for the acquisition of the freehold was £33,756,apportioned as to£12,285 for the lower at and £21,471for the upper fat. This case was in relation to 2 flats. The unexpired term was 68.32 years.

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Hammersmith what are the most frequent lease problems?

Leasehold conveyancing in Hammersmith is not unique. Most leases are individual and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain sections are not included. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• A provision to repair to or maintain elements of the building
• A duty to insure the building
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

You may encounter a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Birmingham Midshires, The Royal Bank of Scotland, and Bank of Ireland all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to withdraw.

I acquired a studio flat in Hammersmith, conveyancing formalities finalised 1996. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Hammersmith with a long lease are worth £200,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2077

With 51 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £34,200 and £39,600 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.