I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in South Harrow. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in South Harrow - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars 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.

Harry (my fiance) and I may need to rent out our South Harrow ground floor flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We used a South Harrow conveyancing firm in 2004 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to get any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Even though your previous South Harrow conveyancing lawyer is no longer available you can check your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the property. The accepted inference is that if the lease is silent, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you must obtain consent from your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet in the absence of prior consent. Such consent is not allowed to be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Expecting to sign contracts shortly on a studio apartment in South Harrow. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they will have a report out to me within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

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

• The length of the lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and aware of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years
• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
• The physical extent of the property. This will be the flat itself but may incorporate a loft or cellar if applicable.
• Does the lease require carpeting throughout thus preventing wood flooring?
• 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.
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure 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 leasehold house in South Harrow. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in South Harrow are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in South Harrow in which case you should be shopping around for a South Harrow conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will advise you fully on all the issues.

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord to extend my lease without getting anywhere. Can I make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a South Harrow conveyancing firm to act on my behalf?

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

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a South Harrow residence is GFF 1 Holyrood Avenue in May 2014. The Tenant wished to acquire a new (extended) lease and applied to the Willesden County Court who granted a vesting order on 20* March2013. The Tribunal decied that the premium to be paid was £9,062 This case related to 1 flat. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 79 years.

Are there frequently found defects that you encounter in leases for South Harrow properties?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in South Harrow. All leases is drafted differently and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain sections 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 premises
• Insurance obligations
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

You will have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Birmingham Midshires, The Mortgage Works, and Platform Home Loans Ltd all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the buyer to withdraw.

I purchased a 1st floor flat in South Harrow, conveyancing was carried out in 2006. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in South Harrow with an extended lease are worth £250,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2083

With only 57 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £26,600 and £30,800 as well as legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.