Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Wandsworth:

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

Questions and Answers: Wandsworth leasehold conveyancing

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Wandsworth. Before I get started I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Wandsworth - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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.

My wife and I may need to rent out our Wandsworth garden flat for a while due to a new job. We used a Wandsworth conveyancing firm in 2004 but they have closed and we did not think at the time get any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

The lease governs relations between the landlord and you the leaseholder; in particular, it will indicate if subletting is banned, or permitted but only subject to certain caveats. The rule is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. Most leases in Wandsworth do not prevent an absolute prevention of subletting – such a clause would adversely affect the market value the flat. In most cases there is simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a duplicate of the sublease.

I have recently realised that I have Sixty One years left on my flat in Wandsworth. I am keen to get lease extension but my landlord is missing. What are my options?

On the basis that you qualify, 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 granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to find the lessor. In some cases an enquiry agent may be helpful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document to be accepted by the court as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Wandsworth.

I am hoping to sign contracts shortly on a leasehold property in Wandsworth. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they report fully within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • You should receive a copy of the lease
  • The unexpired lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and informed of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years
  • Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?
  • You must be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
  • Whether your lease has a provision for a reserve fund?
  • 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 For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Wandsworth please ask your conveyancer in advance of your conveyancing in Wandsworth

    • What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Wandsworth conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

    When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Wandsworth conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Wandsworth conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be helpful:

    • Can they put you in touch with client in Wandsworth who can give a testimonial?
  • What are the costs for lease extension conveyancing?

    • I am the leaseholder of a first floor flat in Wandsworth. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the premium due for a lease extension?

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

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Wandsworth flat is 4 Galveston Road in August 2012. The Tribunal determined that the price payable in respect of the purchase of the freehold was £22,650. The Tribunal remited this matter back to the Wandsworth County Court for execution of the freehold Transfer Deed. This case related to 2 flats.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Wandsworth