Harry (my fiance) and I may need to sub-let our North Sheen garden flat temporarily due to a new job. We instructed a North Sheen conveyancing practice in 2004 but they have closed and we did not think at the time get any guidance as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in North Sheen do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

Due to sign contracts shortly on a studio apartment in North Sheen. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they are sending me a report tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• The unexpired lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and informed of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years
• Defining your rights in relation to the communal areas in the building.For example, does the lease grant a right of way over a path or hallways?
• Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
• An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
• Repair and maintenance of the flat
• What options are open to you if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease?
• What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease?

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in North Sheen with the aim of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in North Sheen can be bypassed where you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers lawyers.
• Many freeholders or managing agents in North Sheen levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in North Sheen.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? North Sheen leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord approving such changes. Should you dont have the approvals to hand you should not contact the landlord without checking with your lawyer in advance.
• If there is a history of conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a property where a dispute is unsettled. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. 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 details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as over rather than unsettled.
• If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should make sure that you are holding the original share document. Organising a new share certificate can be a time consuming process and frustrates many a North Sheen home move. Where a duplicate share is necessary, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this as soon as possible.

We expect to complete the sale of our £ 225000 maisonette in North Sheen on Tuesday in a week. The managing agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in North Sheen?

North Sheen conveyancing on leasehold flats often involves the buyer’s lawyer sending questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to address such questions the majority will be content to assist. They may charge a reasonable charge for answering enquiries 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 in excess of £800. The administration charge invoiced by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of rights and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the invoice is technically not due. In reality you have no option but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to sell the property.

Despite our best efforts, we have been unsuccessful in trying to purchase the freehold in North Sheen. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

in cases where there is a missing landlord or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to arrive at the premium.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a North Sheen premises is Flat 1 30 Ennismore Avenue in September 2010. the Tribunal adopted and arrived at a premium for the lease extension of £29, 900 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The the number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 68.34 years.

Are there frequently found deficiencies that you come across in leases for North Sheen properties?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in North Sheen. All leases are individual and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are wrong. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the premises
• A duty to insure the building
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

You may have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Lloyds TSB Bank, Virgin Money, and Platform Home Loans Ltd all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the purchaser to withdraw.

I purchased a basement flat in North Sheen, conveyancing was carried out in 1995. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding properties in North Sheen with a long lease are worth £179,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2095

With only 69 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £11,400 and £13,200 plus costs.

The figure 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 the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.