I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in West Ham. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in West Ham - 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.

Planning to complete next month on a studio apartment in West Ham. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they will have a report out to me next week. What should I be looking out for?

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

• The physical extent of the property. This will be the property itself but might include a loft or basement if appropriate.
• Setting out your rights in relation to the communal areas in the block.By way of example, does the lease provide for a right of way over a path or hallways?
• Are pets allowed in the flat?
• Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames
• What you can do if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease?

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a West Ham conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a West Ham conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you make enquires with two or three firms including non West Ham conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be useful:

• If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
• What volume of lease extensions have they completed in West Ham in the last year?

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in West Ham from the point of view of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in West Ham can be bypassed if you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers conveyancers.
• Many landlords or managing agents in West Ham levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in West Ham.
• Some West Ham leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers.
• If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a flat where a dispute is unresolved. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge 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 are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to present the dispute as historic rather than unsettled.
• You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to verify this via your solicitors. A purchaser's conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to where the lease term is under 80 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the sale of our £ 450000 garden flat in West Ham in just under a week. The freeholder has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in West Ham?

West Ham conveyancing on leasehold apartments more often than not involves the buyer’s solicitor submitting questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address these enquiries most will be content to do so. They are entitled charge a reasonable charge for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it exceeds £800. The administration charge invoiced by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, otherwise the charge is technically not due. In reality one has little choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to complete the sale of your home.

My wife and I have hit a brick wall in seeking a lease extension in West Ham. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

Where there is a absentee freeholder or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the LVT to determine the sum to be paid.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a West Ham property is 46 Credon Road in January 2014. On 11 September 2013 Deputy District Judge Price sitting at the Bow County Court made a vesting order that the freeholder surrender his lease and be granted a new lease of the Premises on such terms as may be determined by the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).The appropriate sum as concluded by the Tribunal was £7225 This case affected 1 flat. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 69.77 years.

West Ham Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

The majority of West Ham leasehold flats will incur a service charge for the upkeep of the block invoiced on behalf of the freeholder. If you buy the apartment you will have to meet this contribution, normally in instalments accross the year. This could differ from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal grounds. In all likelihood there will be a ground rent to be met yearly, ordinarily this is not a exorbitant amount, say approximately £25-£75 but you need to enquire as on occasion it can be many hundreds of pounds. It would be prudent to discover if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For example it is reasonably common in West Ham leases that pets are not permitted in certain buildings in West Ham. If you like the propertyin West Ham but your cat is not allowed to move with you then you have a very difficult decision.