Looking forward to exchange soon on a basement flat in Upper Walthamstow. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they report fully next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord

Does the lease require carpeting throughout thus preventing wood flooring?

Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?

Whether the lease restricts you from renting out the property, or having a home office for business

You need to be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease

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

What you can do if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease? For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Upper Walthamstow please enquire of your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Upper Walthamstow

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor flat in Upper Walthamstow.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is pay the invoice as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I am employed by a busy estate agent office in Upper Walthamstow where we see a few flat sales jeopardised due to short leases. I have been given conflicting advice from local Upper Walthamstow conveyancing solicitors. Could you confirm whether the owner of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer can avoid having to sit tight for 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.

Alternatively, it may be possible 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.

What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Upper Walthamstow conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Upper Walthamstow conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you speak with several firms including non Upper Walthamstow conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be useful:

• How familiar is the firm with lease extension legislation?

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

If all goes to plan we aim to complete our sale of a £475000 garden flat in Upper Walthamstow on Monday in a week. The landlords agents has quoted £408 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Upper Walthamstow?

Upper Walthamstow conveyancing on leasehold apartments usually involves fees being levied by freeholders :

• Answering pre-exchange questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Upper Walthamstow
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• 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 Upper Walthamstow leasehold property is £350. For Upper Walthamstow 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 provide the information.

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

You certainly can. We are happy to put you in touch with a Upper Walthamstow conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Upper Walthamstow residence is 32 Howard Road in June 2012. the Tribunal held that premium payable for the freehold reversion should be £35,825 This case affected 2 flats. The unexpired term was 64 years.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Upper Walthamstow