Experts for Leasehold Conveyancing in Malpas

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Malpas, you will need to instruct a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Clydesdale , Yorkshire Building Society or Nationwide make sure you find a lawyer on their approved list. Find a Malpas conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Frequently asked questions relating to Malpas leasehold conveyancing

I am intending to rent out my leasehold apartment in Malpas. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

Your lease governs relations between the freeholder and you the flat owner; specifically, it will indicate if subletting is not allowed, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. The majority of leases in Malpas do not prevent subletting altogether – such a clause would undoubtedly devalue the property. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a duplicate of the tenancy agreement.

I am looking at a couple of apartments in Malpas which have in the region of fifty years remaining on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a period of time. As the lease shortens the value of the lease reduces and results in it becoming more costly to extend the lease. For this reason it is generally wise to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We advise that you get professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena

Last month I purchased a leasehold property in Malpas. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

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).

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Malpas from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

  • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Malpas can be avoided where you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Malpas leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord approving such changes. Where you fail to have the approvals in place you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor in the first instance.
  • Some Malpas leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the annual 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should ensure that you are holding the original share certificate. Arranging a re-issued share certificate is often a time consuming process and frustrates many a Malpas conveyancing transaction. If a duplicate share is required, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this as soon as possible.
  • You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but you should double-check by asking your conveyancers. A buyer’s conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the remaining number of years is under 80 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage 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.

    • Are there common defects that you see in leases for Malpas properties?

    Leasehold conveyancing in Malpas is not unique. Most leases is drafted differently and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are wrong. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

    • Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the property
    • Insurance obligations
    • Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
    • Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

    A defective lease will likely cause issues when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Barclays , Chelsea Building Society, and Bank of Ireland all have express requirements 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 purchaser to withdraw.

    Malpas Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

      Who is in charge of the building? The best form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this scenario the tenants benefit from control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is frequently retained where it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. How much is the yearly service fee and ground rent?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Malpas