My husband and I may need to let out our Perivale basement flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We instructed a Perivale conveyancing practice in 2002 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any guidance as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your last Perivale conveyancing solicitor is no longer available you can check your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the property. The rule is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you are obliged to obtain consent via your landlord or some other party prior to subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet without prior consent. Such consent should not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease prohibits you from subletting the property you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

There are only 72 years unexpired on my flat in Perivale. I now want to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What should I do?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to locate the lessor. For most situations an enquiry agent should be useful to conduct investigations and to produce a report which can be accepted by the court as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor in relation to proving the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Perivale.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have just found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Perivale. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Perivale ?

Most houses in Perivale are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Perivale so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Perivale conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the freeholder’sconsent to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your solicitor will appraise you on the various issues.

I am looking at a couple of maisonettes in Perivale which have about 50 years unexpired on the lease term. should I be concerned?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As the lease gets shorter the value of the lease deteriorate and results in it becoming more expensive to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is advisable to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage companies may be reluctant to lend money 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

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Perivale from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Perivale can be avoided where you appoint lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers lawyers.
• A minority of Perivale leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.

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

You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Perivale conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Perivale residence is Ground Floor Flat 79 London Road in September 2012. the Tribunal held that the premium payable for the lease extension should be £7,636 This case affected 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 74 years.