I wish to rent out my leasehold flat in Robertsbridge. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

Notwithstanding that your previous Robertsbridge conveyancing solicitor is no longer around you can review your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the property. The accepted inference is that if the lease is silent, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you must obtain permission from your landlord or some other party prior to subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet in the absence of prior permission. The consent is not allowed to be unreasonably turned down. If your lease prohibits you from letting out the property you will need to ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Expecting to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Robertsbridge. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they report fully on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

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

• You should be sent a copy of the lease

I am attracted to a couple of flats in Robertsbridge both have in the region of 50 years left on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in Robertsbridge. The lease is a right to use the property for a period of time. As the lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease decreases and it becomes more expensive to extend the lease. For this reason it is generally wise to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena

I am a negotiator for a reputable estate agent office in Robertsbridge where we have experienced a few flat sales jeopardised as a result of short leases. I have received contradictory information from local Robertsbridge conveyancing solicitors. Could you confirm whether the seller of a flat can start the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser need not have to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on our sale of a £125000 maisonette in Robertsbridge in nine days. The landlords agents has quoted £312 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Robertsbridge?

Robertsbridge conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally necessitates the buyer’s solicitor submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to respond to such questions the majority will be willing to do so. They are entitled invoice a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The administration charge demanded by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of rights and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the invoice is technically not due. Reality however dictates that you have no choice but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to complete the sale of your home.

I inherited a 2 bed flat in Robertsbridge, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2011. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Equivalent properties in Robertsbridge with over 90 years remaining are worth £242,000. The ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2101

With just 76 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 plus costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Robertsbridge