Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in South Ruislip:

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While any conveyancing solicitor can theoretically handle your leasehold conveyancing in South Ruislip, your mortgage provider may not be willing to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

South Ruislip leasehold conveyancing Example Support Desk Enquiries

I am hoping to sign contracts shortly on a ground floor flat in South Ruislip. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they report fully on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • The total extent of the premises. This will be the property itself but could also incorporate a loft or cellar if applicable.
  • You should be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this will change in the future
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • 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.
  • What options are open to you if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease? For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in South Ruislip please enquire of your conveyancer in ahead of your conveyancing in South Ruislip

    • I today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just been informed that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in South Ruislip. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been instructed. Will they explain the issues?

    Most houses in South Ruislip 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. We note that you are purchasing in South Ruislip in which case you should be looking for a South Ruislip conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the landlord’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor will appraise you on the various issues.

    I've recently bought a leasehold flat in South Ruislip. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to 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).

    I am employed by a reputable estate agent office in South Ruislip where we have experienced a number of flat sales put at risk as a result of short leases. I have been given conflicting advice from local South Ruislip conveyancing firms. Please can you confirm whether the seller of a flat can start the lease extension process for the buyer?

    As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

    An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

    Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in South Ruislip with the aim of expediting the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in South Ruislip can be bypassed if you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
    • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? South Ruislip leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such works. If you fail to have the approvals in place do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor before hand.
  • If you have had conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing.
  • If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you hold the original share document. Organising a new share certificate can be a lengthy process and slows down many a South Ruislip conveyancing deal. Where a reissued share is needed, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.
  • 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 conveyancers. A buyer’s lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is less than 75 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

    • After years of negotiations we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in South Ruislip. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

    Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a South Ruislip conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Lease Extension decision for a South Ruislip property is Flat 72 Queens Walk in January 2013. The Tribunals calculated the premium payable to be £22,090. This case was in relation to 1 flat. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 53.26 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in South Ruislip