My wife and I may need to let out our Melbourn garden flat for a while due to a career opportunity. We instructed a Melbourn conveyancing practice in 2002 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your previous Melbourn conveyancing solicitor is not available you can review your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the property. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you must obtain permission via your landlord or some other party before subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet in the absence of prior permission. The consent should not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If your lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Due to complete next month on a studio apartment in Melbourn. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they will have a report out to me on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

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

I've found a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have since discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Melbourn. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Melbourn ?

The majority of houses in Melbourn are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Melbourn in which case you should be shopping around for a Melbourn conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the freeholder’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor will report to you on the legal implications.

I own a leasehold flat in Melbourn. Conveyancing and Britannia mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing solicitor in Melbourn who previously acted has now retired.What should I do?

First contact HMLR to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a Melbourn conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Melbourn conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Melbourn conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you speak with several firms including non Melbourn conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

• Can they put you in touch with client in Melbourn who can give a testimonial?

Leasehold Conveyancing in Melbourn - A selection of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Be sure to discover if the the lease contains any unreasonable restrictions in the lease. For example some leases prohibit pets being allowed in certain buildings in Melbourn. If you like the apartmentin Melbourn however your dog is not allowed to make the move with you then you will be presented with a difficult compromise. The prefered form of lease arrangement is if the freehold interest is owned by the leaseholders. In this situation the lessees have control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is frequently retained where it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders. Best to be warned whether redecorating or some other major work is due shortly that will be shared amongst the tenants and may well materially impact the level of the maintenance costs or require a specific invoice.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Melbourn