You should [be sent a copy of the lease|receive a copy of the lease]

Expecting to exchange soon on a garden flat in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• The physical extent of the property. This will be the flat itself but might include a roof space or cellar if applicable.
• Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?
• You need to be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
• Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?
• Repair and maintenance of the flat
• Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
• The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building

For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Hampstead Garden Suburb please enquire of your conveyancer in advance of your conveyancing in Hampstead Garden Suburb

I have just started marketing my basement flat in Hampstead Garden Suburb.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

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 managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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 today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Hampstead Garden Suburb ?

The majority of houses in Hampstead Garden Suburb are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Hampstead Garden Suburb so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Hampstead Garden Suburb 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 leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will appraise you on the various issues.

I work for a reputable estate agent office in Hampstead Garden Suburb where we have experienced a number of leasehold sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have been given conflicting advice from local Hampstead Garden Suburb conveyancing firms. Can you clarify whether the owner of a flat can start the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

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.

All being well we will complete our sale of a £ 125000 flat in Hampstead Garden Suburb next Tuesday . The freeholder has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Hampstead Garden Suburb?

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

• Addressing pre-contract enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Hampstead Garden Suburb
• 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 Hampstead Garden Suburb leasehold property is £350. For Hampstead Garden Suburb 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 the information.

I am the registered owner of a a ground floor purpose built flat in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount due for the purchase of the freehold?

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

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Hampstead Garden Suburb premises is FFF, 37 and Garage 1, Queensborough Court North Circular Road in September 2012. The Tribunal determined that the premium for the lease extension should be £67,037 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 23.66 years.

I am the registered owner of a garden flat in Hampstead Garden Suburb, conveyancing having been completed in 2007. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Hampstead Garden Suburb with over 90 years remaining are worth £219,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2106

With just 80 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £11,400 and £13,200 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.