Experts for Leasehold Conveyancing in Orpington

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Orpington, you will need to instruct a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Lloyds, RBS or NatWest make sure you find a lawyer on their panel. Feel free to use our search tool

Orpington leasehold conveyancing: Q and A’s

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Orpington. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Orpington - 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.

I am hoping to exchange soon on a ground floor flat in Orpington. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they will have a report out to me next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Orpington should include some of the following:

  • The physical extent of the premises. This will be the apartment itself but could also include a roof space or cellar if applicable.
  • Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat?
  • You need to be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
  • Whether your lease has a provision for a reserve fund?
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat
  • The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide. For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Orpington please enquire of your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Orpington

    • Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my garden apartment in Orpington.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

    The sensible thing to do is clear the invoice as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

    I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Orpington. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

    In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

    If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

    Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Orpington with the intention of saving time on the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Orpington can be avoided where you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers representatives.
    • The majority landlords or Management Companies in Orpington 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 can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Orpington.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Orpington leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. If you fail to have the approvals in place you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your lawyer first.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share document. Obtaining a duplicate share certificate is often a time consuming formality and delays many a Orpington home move. If a duplicate share is needed, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity.
  • You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but you should double-check via your conveyancers. A purchaser's lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is less than 80 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

    • I am the registered owner of a second floor flat in Orpington. Given that I can not reach agreement with the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the premium payable for the purchase of the freehold?

    Where there is a missing freeholder or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant legislation you can apply to the LVT to arrive at the price payable.

    An example of a Lease Extension case for a Orpington premises is 1 Southlands Court Southlands Road in September 2013. The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal determined that the premium to be paid by the tenant on the grant of a new lease, in accordance with section 56 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 was £30,541 This case affected 1 flat. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 50.57 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Orpington