My wife and I may need to sub-let our Roath Park ground floor flat for a while due to a career opportunity. We used a Roath Park conveyancing firm in 2004 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to get any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your last Roath Park conveyancing lawyer is not around you can review your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the premises. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you are obliged to obtain consent from your landlord or some other party prior to subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. The consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease prohibits you from letting out the property you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Seventy years unexpired on my lease in Roath Park. I am keen to get lease extension but my landlord is missing. What are my options?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be extended by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the landlord. In some cases a specialist may be helpful to carry out a search and prepare a report to be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor in relation to devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Roath Park.

I am looking at a couple of maisonettes in Roath Park both have about fifty years left on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There are plenty of short leases in Roath Park. The lease is a right to use the property for a period of time. As a lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease deteriorate and it becomes more expensive to extend the lease. This is why it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. It is often 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 advise that you seek professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena

Last month I purchased a leasehold house in Roath Park. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Roath Park conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Roath Park conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you talk with two or three firms including non Roath Park conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be of use:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?

Roath Park Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Is anyone aware of any major works anticipated that will add a premium to the maintenance fees? Make sure you investigate if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. By way of example it is very common in Roath Park leases that pets are not allowed in certain buildings in Roath Park. If you love the apartmentin Roath Park however your dog is not allowed to live with you then you have a very hard determination. It is important to be aware whether fixing the lift or some other major work is due shortly to be shared amongst the leasehold owners and could well materially impact the level of the service fees or result in a one time invoice.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Roath Park