Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in South West London:

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Leasehold conveyancing in South West London 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 South West London and throughout 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 South West London

I am hoping to sign contracts shortly on a studio apartment in South West London. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they will have a report out to me next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • Defining your rights in relation to common areas in the building.E.G., does the lease grant a right of way over a path or staircase?
  • You should be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat
  • I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
  • The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
  • Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice?
  • What options are open to you if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in South West London please ask your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in South West London

    • I’m about to sell my ground floor apartment in South West London.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just received a yearly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

    The sensible thing to do is 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 managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until 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.

    I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since been informed that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in South West London. Conveyancing solicitors have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in South West London ?

    Most houses in South West London are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in South West London so you should seriously consider shopping around for a South West London conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the freeholder’spermission to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your solicitor will appraise you on the various issues.

    Back In 2004, I bought a leasehold flat in South West London. Conveyancing and Bank of Scotland mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing solicitor in South West London who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

    First make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a South West London conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

    Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in South West London from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in South West London can be avoided where you appoint lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ solicitors.
    • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? South West London leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord approving such changes. Should you dont have the consents in place do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor in advance.
  • A minority of South West London leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet 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 purchasers or their solicitors.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Organising a replacement share certificate can be a lengthy process and slows down many a South West London conveyancing deal. Where a reissued share certificate is needed, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this as soon as possible.
  • You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but you should double-check via your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is under 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

    • Following months of negotiations we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in South West London. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

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

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a South West London flat is 78 & 80 Newport Road in January 2013. the Tribunal concluded that the premium to be paid by the leaseholder in respect of the freehold reversion is £23,105 This case was in relation to 2 flats. The unexpired term was 71.63 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in South West London