Leasehold Conveyancing in Nunhead - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

Get a Quote

Need to find a solicitor for leasehold conveyancing in Nunhead on your lender’s panel? Make use of our search tool to find quality local Nunhead conveyancing practitioners or nationwide solicitors on your lender’s panel .

Recently asked questions relating to Nunhead leasehold conveyancing

I want to rent out my leasehold flat in Nunhead. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

Even though your last Nunhead conveyancing lawyer is not available you can check your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the premises. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you must obtain permission via your landlord or some other party prior to subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of prior permission. The consent must not not be unreasonably turned down. If the lease prohibits you from letting out the property you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Nunhead. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Nunhead are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Nunhead in which case you should be looking for a Nunhead conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer will appraise you on the various issues.

I am attracted to a couple of apartments in Nunhead both have about 50 years unexpired on the leases. should I be concerned?

A lease is a right to use the premises for a period of time. As the lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease deteriorate and results in it becoming more costly to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We recommend you get professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area

I am a negotiator for a busy estate agent office in Nunhead where we have witnessed a few flat sales derailed as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given conflicting advice from local Nunhead conveyancing solicitors. Can you shed some light as to whether the seller of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Nunhead from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?

  • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Nunhead can be avoided if you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
  • The majority landlords or Management Companies in Nunhead levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Nunhead.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Nunhead state that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord consenting to such works. If you dont have the paperwork to hand do not communicate with the landlord without checking with your solicitor before hand.
  • If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a property where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over rather than unresolved.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should make sure that you hold the original share document. Arranging a new share certificate can be a lengthy process and delays many a Nunhead home move. If a duplicate share is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

    • I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord to extend my lease without getting anywhere. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on such issues? Can you recommend a Nunhead conveyancing firm to act on my behalf?

    Most certainly. We can put you in touch with a Nunhead conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Nunhead premises is 41 Endwell Road in March 2013. this matter relateed to the acquisition of the freehold of a mid- terraced Victorian house converted into three separate self-contained dwellings. By an order dated 28/11/2012, Deputy District Judge Cole in the Bromley County Court held that the leaseholders were entitled to acquire the freehold and directed that the premium payable be determined by this Tribunal. The Tribunal assessed the premium to be £14,753 This case related to 3 flats. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 80.01 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Nunhead