Experts for Leasehold Conveyancing in Harold Hill

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Leasehold conveyancing in Harold Hill is more complex than freehold. Your home move will be smoother where you choose a lawyer with a wealth of experience of leasehold conveyancing in Harold Hill and next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Common questions relating to Harold Hill leasehold conveyancing

I want to rent out my leasehold apartment in Harold Hill. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Even though your previous Harold Hill conveyancing solicitor is not available you can check your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the property. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you need to obtain permission via your landlord or some other party prior to subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining consent. Such consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease prohibits you from subletting the property you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a ground floor flat in Harold Hill. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they will have a report out to me within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • The length of the lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and informed of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years
  • The total extent of the premises. This will be the property itself but may incorporate a loft or basement if applicable.
  • Setting out your rights in relation to common areas in the building.By way of example, does the lease grant a right of way over a path or hallways?
  • Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat?
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
  • Responsibility for repairing the window frames For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Harold Hill please enquire of your conveyancer in ahead of your conveyancing in Harold Hill

    • I am employed by a reputable estate agent office in Harold Hill where we have experienced a few flat sales jeopardised as a result of short leases. I have been given contradictory information from local Harold Hill conveyancing solicitors. Can you clarify whether the seller 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 need not have to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.

    Alternatively, it may be possible 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.

    Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Harold Hill conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

    When appointing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Harold Hill 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 Harold Hill conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be helpful:

    • Can they put you in touch with client in Harold Hill who can give a testimonial?
  • What are the legal fees for lease extension work?

    • Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Harold Hill from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Harold Hill can be bypassed if you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ solicitors.
    • Some Harold Hill leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
  • If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled prior to the flat being put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a flat where a dispute is ongoing. You will have to accept that you will have to pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as over rather than unresolved.
  • If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share certificate. Obtaining a re-issued share certificate can be a lengthy formality and frustrates many a Harold Hill conveyancing transaction. Where a reissued share is needed, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to double-check by asking your conveyancers. A buyer’s lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the lease term is less than 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

    • After years of correspondence we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Harold Hill. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

    You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Harold Hill conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Harold Hill flat is 37 Lodge Court High Street in November 2013. the decision of the LVT was that the premium to be paid for the new lease was £25,559 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired term was 57.5 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Harold Hill