Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Small Heath. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Small Heath - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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.

Frank (my husband) and I may need to let out our Small Heath 1st floor flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We instructed a Small Heath conveyancing firm in 2003 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to seek any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Small Heath 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 have just started marketing my basement apartment in Small Heath.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

It best that you discharge the invoice as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Small Heath conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Small Heath conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you talk with two or three firms including non Small Heath conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be helpful:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Small Heath who can give a testimonial?

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Small Heath with the aim of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Small Heath can be avoided if you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ solicitors.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Small Heath state that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord approving such works. If you fail to have the paperwork in place you should not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in advance.
• Some Small Heath 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 obtain bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the yearly 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 buyers or their solicitors.
• If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved before the property is marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where a dispute is unsettled. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as historic rather than ongoing.
• If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share document. Organising a duplicate share certificate is often a time consuming process and delays many a Small Heath conveyancing transaction. If a reissued share certificate is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this as soon as possible.

I bought a ground floor flat in Small Heath, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Small Heath with an extended lease are worth £262,000. The ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 2103

With just 77 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £11,400 and £13,200 as well as legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.