Leasehold Conveyancing in North London - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in North London, you will need to chose a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Halifax, RBS or Bradford & Bingley be sure to choose a lawyer on their approved list. Find a North London conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

North London leasehold conveyancing Example Support Desk Enquiries

Helen (my wife) and I may need to sub-let our North London 1st floor flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We instructed a North London conveyancing practice in 2003 but they have closed and we did not think at the time get any advice as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your last North London conveyancing lawyer is not around you can review your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the apartment. 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 in advance of subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining consent. The consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I am hoping to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in North London. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they report fully within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, freeholder
  • Defining your rights in relation to the communal areas in the building.For instance, does the lease contain a right of way over a path or hallways?
  • Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?
  • You need to be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
  • An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
  • Whether your lease has a provision for a reserve fund?
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions) For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in North London please ask your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in North London

    • Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a North London conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

    If you are instructing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a North London conveyancing practice) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you talk with two or three firms including non North London 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 of use:

    • How familiar is the firm with lease extension legislation?
  • Can they put you in touch with client in North London who can give a testimonial?

    • Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in North London from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

    • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in North London can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers lawyers.
    • If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in North London state that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such alterations. Should you fail to have the paperwork in place do not contact the landlord without checking with your solicitor in advance.
  • A minority of North London leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, it would be prudent to 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Organising a replacement share certificate can be a lengthy formality and slows down many a North London conveyancing deal. Where a new share is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but you should verify this via your lawyers. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is below 80 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

    • I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such issues? Can you recommend a North London conveyancing firm to assist?

    if there is a missing freeholder or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the LVT to decide the premium.

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a North London premises is 20 Avonwick Road in July 2013. The Tribunal was dealing with an application under Section 26 of the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 for a determination of the freehold value of the property. It was concluded that the price to be paid was Fifteen Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy (£15,970) divided as to £8,200 for Flat 20 and £7,770 for Flat 20A This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 73.26 years.

    Are there common defects that you see in leases for North London properties?

    Leasehold conveyancing in North London is not unique. Most leases are unique and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain clauses are erroneous. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

    • Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the premises
    • Insurance obligations
    • A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
    • Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

    A defective lease can cause issues when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Yorkshire Building Society, The Mortgage Works, and Barclays Direct all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is defective they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the buyer to withdraw.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in North London