Experts for Leasehold Conveyancing in Oxford

Get a Quote

Leasehold conveyancing in Oxford is more complex than freehold. Your home move will be smoother where you choose a lawyer with a wealth of experience of leasehold conveyancing in Oxford and throughout next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Oxford leasehold conveyancing Example Support Desk Enquiries

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Oxford. Before I get started I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Oxford - 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.

Expecting to complete next month on a studio apartment in Oxford. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • Defining your legal entitlements in relation to the communal areas in the building.For example, does the lease provide for a right of way over a path or hallways?
  • Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?
  • Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat?
  • Whether the lease restricts you from subletting the property, or working from home
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this will change in the future
  • The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
  • Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice? For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Oxford please enquire of your conveyancer in advance of your conveyancing in Oxford

    • What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Oxford conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

    If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Oxford conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you speak with several firms including non Oxford 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 of use:

    • What volume of lease extensions has the firm carried out in Oxford in the last year?
  • Can they put you in touch with client in Oxford who can give a testimonial?

    • Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Oxford from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Oxford can be avoided if you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers representatives.
    • Many landlords or managing agents in Oxford charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management information can be applied for 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 cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Oxford.
  • Some Oxford leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
  • If there is a history of conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a flat where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to present the dispute as historic as opposed to unsettled.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should make sure that you have the original share document. Arranging a replacement share certificate can be a lengthy formality and slows down many a Oxford conveyancing transaction. If a new share is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this as soon as possible.

    • In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Oxford what are the most common lease problems?

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

    • Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the premises
    • A duty to insure the building
    • 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 can cause problems when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Birmingham Midshires, The Mortgage Works, and Clydesdale 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, obliging the buyer to withdraw.

    Leasehold Conveyancing in Oxford - A selection of Queries before buying

      Most Oxford leasehold apartments will have a service charge for the upkeep of the building set by the management company. If you acquire the apartment you will have to pay this contribution, usually quarterly throughout the year. This can differ from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built buildings. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, ordinarily this is not a exorbitant sum, say about £25-£75 but you should to check it because occasionally it could be surprisingly expensive. This question is important as a) areas could cause problems in the block as the common areas may begin to deteriorate if maintenance are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the running of the building you will want to know about it What restrictions exist in the Oxford Lease?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Oxford