There are only 72 years remaining on my lease in Hampstead Garden Suburb. I now wish to get lease extension but my landlord is absent. What are my options?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, 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 enable the lease to be extended by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to find the freeholder. For most situations a specialist would be useful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Hampstead Garden Suburb.

I have just appointed agents to market my basement flat in Hampstead Garden Suburb.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a yearly service charge invoice – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is clear 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 management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying 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 ?

Most houses in Hampstead Garden Suburb are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Hampstead Garden Suburb so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Hampstead Garden Suburb conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’sconsent to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your solicitor should advise you fully on all the issues.

I own a leasehold flat in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Conveyancing and HSBC Bank mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing solicitor in Hampstead Garden Suburb who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to instruct a Hampstead Garden Suburb conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Hampstead Garden Suburb conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Hampstead Garden Suburb conveyancing practice) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you talk with several firms including non Hampstead Garden Suburb conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be of use:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?
• How many lease extensions has the firm carried out in Hampstead Garden Suburb in the last 12 months?

Following years of negotiations we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

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

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Hampstead Garden Suburb residence 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 related to 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 23.66 years.

Hampstead Garden Suburb Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Its a good idea to discover as much as you can regarding the company managing the building as they can either make your life much simpler or problematic. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are often in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to every day issues such as the cleanliness of the communal areas. Enquire of other tenants if they are happy with their service. Finally, investigate as to the dates that the service fees are due to the appropriate party and precisely what you get for your money.