Helen (my wife) and I may need to let out our Pratt's Bottom ground floor flat for a while due to a career opportunity. We used a Pratt's Bottom conveyancing firm in 2002 but they have closed and we did not think at the time get any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Pratt's Bottom do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience suggests that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

There are only 72 years left on my flat in Pratt's Bottom. I need to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. 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 submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to track down the landlord. In some cases an enquiry agent should be helpful to try and locate and prepare an expert document which can be used as proof that the freeholder 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 Pratt's Bottom.

Expecting to complete next month on a leasehold property in Pratt's Bottom. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Pratt's Bottom should include some of the following:

• The total extent of the property. This will be the flat itself but might incorporate a loft or cellar if applicable.
• Setting out your rights in relation to common areas in the block.By way of example, does the lease contain a right of way over a path or staircase?
• Repair and maintenance of the flat
• I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames
• What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease?

Last month I purchased a leasehold house in Pratt's Bottom. 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 lessee 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. A critical element 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).

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Pratt's Bottom from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Pratt's Bottom can be avoided if you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
• Many freeholders or Management Companies in Pratt's Bottom charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Pratt's Bottom.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Pratt's Bottom state that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such changes. If you fail to have the approvals in place you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor before hand.
• If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should make sure that you hold the original share certificate. Arranging a new share certificate can be a lengthy process and delays many a Pratt's Bottom home move. Where a duplicate share is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity.
• You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable double-check by asking your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is less than 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

My wife and I have hit a brick wall in seeking a lease extension in Pratt's Bottom. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Pratt's Bottom conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Pratt's Bottom property 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 was in relation to 1 flat. The the number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 50.57 years.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Pratt's Bottom - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing