My fiance and I may need to sub-let our Ripley 1st floor flat temporarily due to a new job. We instructed a Ripley conveyancing firm in 2001 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to get any advice as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Even though your last Ripley conveyancing lawyer is no longer available you can review your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the premises. The rule is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you need to obtain consent from your landlord or other appropriate person before subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet without prior permission. The consent must not not be unreasonably turned down. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

I only have Seventy years unexpired on my lease in Ripley. I need to get lease extension but my landlord is absent. What are my options?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the lessor. In some cases a specialist would be useful to conduct investigations and prepare a report which can be used as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Ripley.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two flats in Ripley both have approximately 50 years remaining on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

A lease is a right to use the property for a period of time. As the lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease deteriorate and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is advisable to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We recommend you get professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena

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

When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Ripley conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you speak with several firms including non Ripley conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be useful:

• If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
• What are the costs for lease extension conveyancing?

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Ripley from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Ripley can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ lawyers.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Ripley leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord approving such changes. If you fail to have the paperwork to hand do not contact the landlord without checking with your lawyer before hand.
• Some Ripley 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 able to meet the yearly 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their solicitors.
• If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should make sure that you are holding the original share document. Obtaining a new share certificate can be a time consuming formality and delays many a Ripley home move. If a new share is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity.
• You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this by asking your solicitors. A buyer’s conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the remaining number of years is under 75 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

I own a garden flat in Ripley, conveyancing formalities finalised 2008. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Similar properties in Ripley with over 90 years remaining are worth £219,000. The ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2100

With only 74 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £10,500 and £12,000 plus professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.