I want to let out my leasehold flat in Paignton. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?

A small minority of properties in Paignton do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. 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.

Planning to complete next month on a basement flat in Paignton. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they report fully tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• The physical extent of the property. This will be the property itself but could also include a loft or basement if applicable.

Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?

Does the lease prevent you from renting out the property, or having a home office for business

You need to be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease

Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?

Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)

What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Paignton please ask your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Paignton

I’m about to sell my garden apartment in Paignton.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a yearly service charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

The sensible thing to do is pay the invoice 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.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Paignton from the point of view of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Paignton can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ solicitors.
• The majority freeholders or managing agents in Paignton levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Paignton.

If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Paignton state that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such alterations. If you fail to have the consents in place you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your solicitor first.

If you have had conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to 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 details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as historic rather than unresolved.

You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but you should double-check via your conveyancers. A purchaser's lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is under 80 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the disposal of our £325000 apartment in Paignton on Wednesday in a week. The management company has quoted £348 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Paignton?

For most leasehold sales in Paignton conveyancing will involve, questions about the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Completing pre-exchange questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Paignton
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Paignton leasehold property is £350. For Paignton conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to supply the information.

I am the registered owner of a basement flat in Paignton, conveyancing formalities finalised 2007. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Paignton with over 90 years remaining are worth £265,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £60 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2079

You have 58 years unexpired the likely cost is going to be between £28,500 and £33,000 as well as legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Paignton