I would like to sublet my leasehold flat in Peterborough. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Your lease governs relations between the freeholder and you the leaseholder; in particular, it will say if subletting is not allowed, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The rule is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. The majority of leases in Peterborough do not prevent subletting altogether – such a provision would undoubtedly devalue the flat. Instead, there is usually a basic requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a duplicate of the tenancy agreement.

Planning to exchange soon on a leasehold property in Peterborough. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they report fully within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

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

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord

Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?

You must be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease

Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this will change in the future

Repair and maintenance of the flat

Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)

Responsibility for repairing the window frames For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Peterborough please enquire of your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Peterborough

I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed flat in Peterborough.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a quarterly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is 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 management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I own a leasehold house in Peterborough. Conveyancing and Lloyds TSB Bank mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing practitioner in Peterborough who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

First contact the Land Registry to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Peterborough conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, 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 maisonette in Peterborough in just under a week. The landlords agents has quoted £396 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Peterborough?

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

• Answering pre-exchange enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Peterborough
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Peterborough leasehold premises is £350. For Peterborough 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 obliged to provide the information.

I am the registered owner of a 1 bedroom flat in Peterborough, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Peterborough with an extended lease are worth £189,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease runs out on 21st October 2089

With 64 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £16,200 and £18,600 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Peterborough