I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Sandbanks. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Sandbanks - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title.For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I am intending to sublet my leasehold flat in Sandbanks. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

A small minority of properties in Sandbanks do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting consent.

I've found a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Sandbanks. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Sandbanks ?

The majority of houses in Sandbanks are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Sandbanks in which case you should be shopping around for a Sandbanks conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will appraise you on the various issues.

Last month I purchased a leasehold property in Sandbanks. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure 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).

I am a negotiator for a busy estate agent office in Sandbanks where we have witnessed a few leasehold sales jeopardised due to short leases. I have received contradictory information from local Sandbanks conveyancing firms. Could you shed some light as to whether the vendor of a flat can commence the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder 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 buyer.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Sandbanks - A selection of Queries Prior to buying

For many Sandbanks leaseholds the outlay for major works tend not to be wrapped into the service charges, albeit that some managing agents in Sandbanks obliged tenants to pay into a reserve fund created for the specific purpose of building a fund for larger repairs or maintenance. If a Sandbanks lease has no more than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the salability of the property. Check with your mortgage company that they are happy with residual term of the lease. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will probably require a lease extension sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of what this would cost. Remember, in most cases you would be required to have been the owner of the property for 24 months before you are legally able to exercise a lease extension. It is important to be aware whether window replacement or some other major work is coming up that will be shared between the leaseholders and will materially impact the level of the maintenance fees or require a one off payment.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Sandbanks