My husband and I may need to let out our Oakdale 1st floor flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We instructed a Oakdale conveyancing firm in 2002 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to seek any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Oakdale do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord cannot unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience suggests that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting consent.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Fifty years left on my flat in Oakdale. I now wish to extend my lease but my freeholder is missing. What options are available to me?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the lessor. In some cases a specialist would be useful to try and locate and prepare a report to be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Oakdale.

I have just started marketing my garden apartment in Oakdale.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a quarterly service charge invoice – what should I do?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge the service charge as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I own a leasehold flat in Oakdale. Conveyancing and TSB mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing solicitor in Oakdale who previously acted has long since retired.Any advice?

First make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. It is not necessary to instruct a Oakdale conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

All being well we will complete the sale of our £175000 apartment in Oakdale next Friday . The freeholder has quoted £396 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Oakdale?

Oakdale conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually necessitates the purchaser’s conveyancer sending questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer these enquiries the majority will be content to do so. They are entitled invoice a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The management information fee demanded by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, without which the charge is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that one has little choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I own a studio flat in Oakdale, conveyancing having been completed 2004. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable flats in Oakdale with an extended lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2089

With only 64 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £18,100 and £20,800 plus professional fees.

The figure 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 are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.

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Lease Extensions in Oakdale