I am intending to let out my leasehold apartment in Skelmersdale. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

A small minority of properties in Skelmersdale do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord cannot unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience suggests 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.

I have recently realised that I have 62 years unexpired on my flat in Skelmersdale. I now want to get lease extension but my freeholder is missing. What should I do?

If you qualify, 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 lengthened by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. In some cases an enquiry agent should be helpful to conduct investigations and prepare a report which can be used as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Skelmersdale.

Looking forward to exchange soon on a leasehold property in Skelmersdale. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they report fully next week. What should I be looking out for?

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

• You should receive a copy of the lease

I am employed by a reputable estate agency in Skelmersdale where we have experienced a few flat sales derailed as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given contradictory information from local Skelmersdale conveyancing solicitors. Can you confirm whether the seller of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has been the owner 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 prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

An alternative approach is 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.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the sale of our £425000 flat in Skelmersdale on Thursday in a week. The landlords agents has quoted £324 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Skelmersdale?

Skelmersdale conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally necessitates the buyer’s solicitor submitting enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to these enquiries the majority will be content to assist. They are at liberty invoice a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it is above £800. The administration charge invoiced by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of rights and obligations in relation to administration charges, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that you have little choice but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I own a ground floor flat in Skelmersdale, conveyancing was carried out in 2005. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable flats in Skelmersdale with a long lease are worth £245,000. The ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease runs out on 21st October 2075

You have 50 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £42,800 and £49,400 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Skelmersdale