My wife and I may need to let out our Pimlico garden flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Pimlico conveyancing firm in 2001 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 previous Pimlico conveyancing lawyer is no longer available you can check your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the premises. The accepted inference is that if the lease is silent, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you need to seek permission via your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet without first obtaining consent. Such consent must not not be unreasonably turned down. If your lease prohibits you from letting out the property you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Seventy years unexpired on my flat in Pimlico. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is missing. What are my options?

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 enable the lease to be extended by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the landlord. On the whole an enquiry agent may be useful to try and locate and prepare an expert document to be used as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on investigating the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Pimlico.

Expecting to complete next month on a studio apartment in Pimlico. Conveyancing lawyers have said 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 Pimlico should include some of the following:

• How long the lease is You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and aware of the importance of the 80 year mark

The total extent of the property. This will be the apartment itself but may include a roof space or cellar if applicable.

Defining your legal entitlements in respect of common areas in the block.For instance, does the lease include a right of way over a path or staircase?

Does the lease require carpeting throughout thus preventing wood flooring?

Are pets allowed in the flat?

Does the lease prevent you from subletting the property, or working from home

Repair and maintenance of the flat For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Pimlico please enquire of your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Pimlico

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Pimlico conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Pimlico conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you make enquires with several firms including non Pimlico conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be useful:

• How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?

Can they put you in touch with client in Pimlico who can give a testimonial?

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the disposal of our £450000 maisonette in Pimlico on Friday in a week. The landlords agents has quoted £360 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Pimlico?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Pimlico conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Addressing pre-contract questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Pimlico
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Pimlico leasehold property is £350. For Pimlico conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to supply the information.

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without getting anywhere. Can a leaseholder apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Pimlico conveyancing firm to represent me?

Most certainly. We are happy to put you in touch with a Pimlico conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Pimlico premises is Flats 12A & 19, Evelyn Mansions Carlisle Place in June 2009. The Tribunal held that the price to be paid for the new lease of Flat 12A is £168,824, For the other flat the price was set at £169,110 This case related to 2 flats. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 56 years.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Pimlico