Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Leamouth:

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Leasehold conveyancing in Leamouth 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 Leamouth and throughout next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Frequently asked questions relating to Leamouth leasehold conveyancing

I am intending to rent out my leasehold flat in Leamouth. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?

A lease governs the relationship between the freeholder and you the flat owner; specifically, it will indicate if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. The majority of leases in Leamouth do not prevent an absolute prevention of subletting – such a clause would undoubtedly devalue the property. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a duplicate of the tenancy agreement.

There are only Fifty years unexpired on my lease in Leamouth. I now want to get lease extension but my freeholder is missing. What should I do?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have made all reasonable attempts to find the freeholder. For most situations an enquiry agent may be useful to carry out a search and to produce an expert document which can be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Leamouth.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my basement flat in Leamouth.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just received a quarterly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is clear the invoice 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.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Leamouth from the point of view of expediting the sale process?

  • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Leamouth can be avoided where you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
  • Many landlords or managing agents in Leamouth charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Leamouth.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Leamouth leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such works. If you dont have the approvals to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your lawyer in the first instance.
  • Some Leamouth leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should ensure that you hold the original share certificate. Obtaining a replacement share certificate is often a lengthy formality and frustrates many a Leamouth conveyancing deal. If a new share is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

    • Completion in due on the disposal of our £450000 maisonette in Leamouth next week. The managing agents has quoted £312 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Leamouth?

    Leamouth conveyancing on leasehold flats usually involves the buyer’s lawyer submitting enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address these enquiries the majority will be content to assist. They are entitled invoice a reasonable charge for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it exceeds £800. The management information fee demanded by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration fees, without which the charge is technically not due. Reality however dictates that you have no option but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to complete the sale of your home.

    Following months of dialogue we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Leamouth. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

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

    An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Leamouth property is 46 Credon Road in January 2014. On 11 September 2013 Deputy District Judge Price sitting at the Bow County Court made a vesting order that the freeholder surrender his lease and be granted a new lease of the Premises on such terms as may be determined by the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).The appropriate sum as concluded by the Tribunal was £7225 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 69.77 years.