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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Northampton, you will need to appoint a conveyancing solicitor with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Halifax, RBS or NatWest be sure to choose a lawyer on their approved list. Feel free to use our search tool

Questions and Answers: Northampton leasehold conveyancing

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Northampton. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Northampton - 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 husband and I may need to rent out our Northampton 1st floor flat temporarily due to a new job. We used a Northampton conveyancing practice in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to seek any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your last Northampton conveyancing lawyer is no longer around you can check your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the premises. The accepted inference is that if the lease is non-specific, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you must obtain permission from your landlord or other appropriate person in advance of subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet without prior permission. The consent should not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord for their consent.

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a studio apartment in Northampton. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they will have a report out to me on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?
  • Are pets allowed in the flat?
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • 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
  • Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice?
  • What you can do if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Northampton please enquire of your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Northampton

    • What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Northampton conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

    If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Northampton conveyancing practice) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you speak with two or three firms including non Northampton conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be useful:

    • If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?
  • What are the charges for lease extension work?

    • Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Northampton from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Northampton can be reduced if you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers conveyancers.
    • The majority landlords or Management Companies in Northampton levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Northampton.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Northampton state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Where you dont have the approvals to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in the first instance.
  • A minority of Northampton leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. 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. The 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 have had conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a property 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 completion of the sale. 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 details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing.

    • I acquired a ground floor flat in Northampton, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Northampton with over 90 years remaining are worth £223,000. The ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2082

    With 57 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £24,700 and £28,600 as well as professional fees.

    The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Northampton