Helen (my wife) and I may need to sub-let our North Sheen basement flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We instructed a North Sheen conveyancing firm in 2004 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to get any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

A lease dictates relations between the freeholder and you the flat owner; in particular, it will indicate if subletting is not allowed, or permitted but only subject to certain caveats. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. The majority of leases in North Sheen do not prevent strict prohibition on subletting – such a provision would adversely affect the market value the property. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a duplicate of the tenancy agreement.

I am hoping to sign contracts shortly on a garden flat in North Sheen. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they will have a report out to me within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

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

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, freeholder
• The physical extent of the premises. This will be the apartment itself but might include a roof space or basement if appropriate.
• Defining your rights in relation to common areas in the building.E.G., does the lease contain a right of way over an accessway or hallways?
• Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?
• Whether the lease restricts you from renting out the property, or working from home
• Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?
• Repair and maintenance of the flat

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in North Sheen. Conveyancing and The Mortgage Works mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing practitioner in North Sheen who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to be sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a North Sheen conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. 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 offer any advice when it comes to appointing a North Sheen conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a North Sheen conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you speak with several firms including non North Sheen conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

• How many lease extensions have they carried out in North Sheen in the last twenty four months?
• Can they put you in touch with client in North Sheen who can give a testimonial?

I inherited a two-bedroom flat in North Sheen. In the absence of agreement between myself and the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the premium payable for a lease extension?

Most definitely. We can put you in touch with a North Sheen conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a North Sheen residence 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 related to 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 68.34 years.

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in North Sheen what are the most common lease defects?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in North Sheen. All leases are unique and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain clauses are wrong. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• A provision to repair to or maintain elements of the property
• A duty to insure the building
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

You may encounter 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. HSBC Bank, The Mortgage Works, and TSB all have very detailed 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 provide security, forcing the buyer to withdraw.

I own a ground floor flat in North Sheen, conveyancing was carried out 6 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar flats in North Sheen with a long lease are worth £195,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease expires on 21st October 2087

With just 61 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £20,000 and £23,000 plus costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.