I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in New Barnet. Before diving in I would like to find out the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in New Barnet - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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.

Harry (my fiance) and I may need to rent out our New Barnet garden flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We used a New Barnet conveyancing firm in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to get any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your last New Barnet conveyancing solicitor is not available you can check your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the property. The rule is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you must obtain consent via your landlord or some other party before subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet without first obtaining permission. The consent must not not be unreasonably turned down. If your lease prohibits you from letting out the property you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

I've found a house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since been informed that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in New Barnet. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in New Barnet ?

Most houses in New Barnet are freehold and not 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 buying in New Barnet in which case you should be shopping around for a New Barnet conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor should report to you on the legal implications.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in New Barnet. Conveyancing and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1994. The conveyancing solicitor in New Barnet who acted for me is not around.Do I pay?

First make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a New Barnet conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Completion in due on our sale of a £ 325000 garden flat in New Barnet in 10 days. The managing agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in New Barnet?

New Barnet conveyancing on leasehold apartments often necessitates the purchaser’s solicitor submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to respond to such questions most will be content to do so. They are entitled levy a reasonable administration fee for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it is in excess of £800. The administration charge required by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of rights and obligations in respect of administration charges, without which the invoice is technically not due. Reality however dictates that one has no choice but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to sell the property.

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such issues? Can you recommend a New Barnet conveyancing firm to represent me?

in cases where there is a missing landlord or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant legislation you can apply to the LVT to decide the premium.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a New Barnet property is Flat 2 2 Netherfield Road in April 2010. The Tribunale held that premium payable for a 90 year extension to the existing Lease should be £7,705. This case affected 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 76 years.

I invested in buying a ground floor flat in New Barnet, conveyancing having been completed in 2005. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in New Barnet with over 90 years remaining are worth £191,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 per annum. The lease terminates on 21st October 2084

You have 58 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £24,700 and £28,600 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.