I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in South East London. Before diving in I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in South East London - 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 have recently realised that I have 68 years unexpired on my lease in South East London. I am keen to get lease extension but my landlord is can not be found. What should I do?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to locate the lessor. For most situations a specialist may be helpful to try and locate and prepare an expert document which can be used as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer in relation to investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing South East London.

You should [be sent a copy of the lease|receive a copy of the lease]

Planning to exchange soon on a studio apartment in South East London. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they are sending me a report next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• The physical extent of the premises. This will be the property itself but could also include a loft or basement if applicable.
• Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?
• You should be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
• An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
• Whether your lease has a provision for a reserve fund?
• Repair and maintenance of the flat
• The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building

For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in South East London please enquire of your lawyer in advance of your conveyancing in South East London

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in South East London. Conveyancing and TSB mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1998. The conveyancing solicitor in South East London who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a South East London conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete our sale of a £ 125000 maisonette in South East London in 8 days. The landlords agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in South East London?

South East London conveyancing on leasehold apartments typically necessitates administration charges levied by landlords agents :

• Completing conveyancing due diligence questions
• Where consent is required before sale in South East London
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for South East London leasehold property is £350. For South East London conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to provide the information.

I am the registered owner of a first floor flat in South East London. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount due for the purchase of the freehold?

You certainly can. We are happy to put you in touch with a South East London conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a South East London residence is 20 Avonwick Road in July 2013. The Tribunal was dealing with an application under Section 26 of the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 for a determination of the freehold value of the property. It was concluded that the price to be paid was Fifteen Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy (£15,970) divided as to £8,200 for Flat 20 and £7,770 for Flat 20A This case affected 1 flat. The the unexpired term as at the valuation date was 73.26 years.

Leasehold Conveyancing in South East London - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Most South East London leasehold flats will incur a service charge for maintenance of the block levied on behalf of the freeholder. Where you acquire the apartment you will have to pay this amount, normally quarterly during the year. This could differ from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common grounds. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, this is usually not a large figure, say around £50-£100 but you need to check as on occasion it could be prohibitively expensive.