Due to exchange soon on a leasehold property in Maida Vale. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they are sending me a report next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• The physical extent of the property. This will be the flat itself but could also incorporate a loft or cellar if applicable.
• Setting out your legal entitlements in respect of the communal areas in the building.For instance, does the lease provide for a right of way over an accessway or hallways?
• Whether the lease restricts you from letting out the property, or having a home office for business
• 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?
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames

Back In 2005, I bought a leasehold house in Maida Vale. Conveyancing and TSB mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing practitioner in Maida Vale who previously acted has long since retired.What should I do?

First contact the Land Registry to be sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Maida Vale conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Maida Vale with the intention of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Maida Vale can be avoided where you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers lawyers.
• The majority landlords or Management Companies in Maida Vale levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover 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 usual reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Maida Vale.
• A minority of Maida Vale leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. 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 will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the annual 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 hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Arranging a re-issued share certificate can be a lengthy process and slows down many a Maida Vale conveyancing deal. If a new share is required, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (if relevant) for this sooner rather than later.
• 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 purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is less than 75 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

Completion in due on our sale of a £ 175000 maisonette in Maida Vale on Wednesday in a week. The management company has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Maida Vale?

Maida Vale conveyancing on leasehold flats usually involves the buyer’s solicitor sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to address such questions the majority will be willing to assist. They may invoice a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some situations it is above £800. The management information fee levied by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of rights and obligations in respect of administration fees, without which the charge is technically not due. In reality one has no choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

My wife and I have hit a brick wall in negotiating a lease extension in Maida Vale. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

You certainly can. We are happy to put you in touch with a Maida Vale conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Maida Vale premises is 4 & 4A Charteris Road in June 2009. the Tribunal held that the price to be paid for the enfranchisement of 4/4a Charteris Road to be £15,510 for at 4and £15,694 for at 4a This case affected 2 flats. The remaining number of years on the lease was 70.02 years.

What makes a Maida Vale lease unmortgageable?

Leasehold conveyancing in Maida Vale is not unique. Most leases are individual and drafting errors can result in certain clauses are not included. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the building
• Insurance obligations
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

You will have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Santander, Barnsley Building Society, and Britannia all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, obliging the buyer to withdraw.

I acquired a 1 bedroom flat in Maida Vale, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Maida Vale with an extended lease are worth £177,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease ends on 21st October 2078

You have 52 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £31,400 and £36,200 plus costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.