Guaranteed fixed fees for Leasehold Conveyancing in Knightsbridge

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While any conveyancing solicitor can theoretically handle your leasehold conveyancing in Knightsbridge, your mortgage provider may not be willing to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Recently asked questions relating to Knightsbridge leasehold conveyancing

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Knightsbridge. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and most are in Knightsbridge - 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.

Expecting to complete next month on a garden flat in Knightsbridge. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?
  • You must be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
  • Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice?
  • What options are open to you if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Knightsbridge please ask your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Knightsbridge

    • I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor apartment in Knightsbridge.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just received a yearly service charge demand – Do I pay up?

    The sensible thing to do is discharge 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 am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have just found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Knightsbridge. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Knightsbridge ?

    Most houses in Knightsbridge are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Knightsbridge in which case you should be shopping around for a Knightsbridge 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 tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your conveyancer should report to you on the legal implications.

    I work for a reputable estate agent office in Knightsbridge where we have witnessed a few leasehold sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have received contradictory information from local Knightsbridge conveyancing firms. Could you clarify whether the owner of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

    Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

    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 purchaser.

    We have reached the end of our tether in trying to purchase the freehold in Knightsbridge. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

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

    An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Knightsbridge residence is Flat 3 47 Cadogan Square in December 2010. the Tribunal determined that the premium payable to the landord by the leaseholder for the lease extension was £732,935 This case affected 1 flat. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 13.33 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Knightsbridge