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

Notwithstanding that your last Radcliffe conveyancing lawyer is no longer around you can check your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the property. The rule is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you need to obtain permission from your landlord or other appropriate person before subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining consent. Such consent is not allowed to be unreasonably turned down. If the lease prohibits you from letting out the property you should ask your landlord for their consent.

I have just appointed agents to market my garden flat in Radcliffe.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a quarterly service charge demand – what should I do?

It best that you pay 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 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 today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Radcliffe. Conveyancing solicitors have are about to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Radcliffe are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Radcliffe so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Radcliffe conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your solicitor will report to you on the legal implications.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Radcliffe conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Radcliffe conveyancing practice) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you speak with two or three firms including non Radcliffe 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:

• How familiar is the firm with lease extension legislation?

If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the sale of our £275000 garden flat in Radcliffe in just under a week. The freeholder has quoted £312 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Radcliffe?

Radcliffe conveyancing on leasehold flats ordinarily involves fees being raised by freeholders :

• Answering conveyancing due diligence enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Radcliffe
• Supplying insurance information
• 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 Radcliffe leasehold property is £350. For Radcliffe 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 acquired a split level flat in Radcliffe, conveyancing formalities finalised 1997. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding flats in Radcliffe with an extended lease are worth £240,000. The ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2080

With 56 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £28,500 and £33,000 as well as costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

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Lease Extensions in Radcliffe