Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Park Royal. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Park Royal - 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 only have 68 years remaining on my lease in Park Royal. I am keen to get lease extension but my freeholder is missing. What are my options?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to find the landlord. For most situations a specialist would be useful to try and locate and to produce a report which can be used as proof that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Park Royal.

I've found a house that appears to be perfect, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently discovered that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Park Royal. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Park Royal are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Park Royal so you should seriously consider looking for a Park Royal conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your solicitor should appraise you on the various issues.

What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Park Royal conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Park Royal conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Park Royal conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be useful:

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

Following years of correspondence we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Park Royal. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Park Royal conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Park Royal residence is 99 Connell Crescent in May 2013. the Tribunal held that the relevant sum for the purposes of the lease extension should be £72,566 to be paid by the leaseholder This case affected 1 flat. The the unexpired term as at the valuation date was 28.42 years.

What makes a Park Royal lease unacceptable for security purposes?

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

• Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the building
• A duty to insure the building
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

A defective lease will likely cause problems when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Halifax, Coventry Building Society, and Godiva Mortgages Ltd all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is defective they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.

I acquired a basement flat in Park Royal, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Equivalent properties in Park Royal with over 90 years remaining are worth £215,000. The ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2087

With only 61 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £21,900 and £25,200 plus legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.