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Leasehold conveyancing in Shelfield is more complex than freehold. Your home move will be smoother where you choose a lawyer with a wealth of experience of leasehold conveyancing in Shelfield and next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Examples of recent questions relating to leasehold conveyancing in Shelfield

My husband and I may need to sub-let our Shelfield garden flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Shelfield conveyancing firm in 2004 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Shelfield 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 permission.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Shelfield. Conveyancing and National Westminster Bank mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1992. The conveyancing solicitor in Shelfield who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

First make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Shelfield conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two flats in Shelfield which have about fifty years remaining on the leases. should I be concerned?

A lease is a right to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease decreases and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is often a good idea to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Shelfield conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Shelfield conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Shelfield conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

  • How many lease extensions have they completed in Shelfield in the last twenty four months?
  • Can they put you in touch with client in Shelfield who can give a testimonial?

    • Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Shelfield from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Shelfield can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers representatives.
    • The majority freeholders or Management Companies in Shelfield charge for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Shelfield.
  • A minority of Shelfield leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the annual 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share certificate. Arranging a re-issued share certificate can be a time consuming formality and frustrates many a Shelfield home move. If a new share is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (if relevant) for this sooner rather than later.
  • You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to verify this by asking your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the lease term is below 80 years. It is therefore essential at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

    • Shelfield Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

      Many Shelfield leasehold apartments will incur a service charge for maintenance of the block set by the management company. Where you acquire the apartment you will have to pay this liability, usually in instalments throughout the year. This may differ from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built blocks. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a significant sum, say about £50-£100 but you should to check as on occasion it could be many hundreds of pounds. Is anyone aware of any major works on the horizon that could increase the maintenance charges? For many Shelfield leaseholds the outlay for major works tend not to be included within service charges, although some managing agents in Shelfield require tenants to pay into a sinking fund created for the specific intention of establishing a fund for major works.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Shelfield