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 across next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Common questions relating to South West London leasehold conveyancing

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

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in South West 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.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 62 years left on my lease in South West London. I now wish to get lease extension but my landlord is missing. What are my options?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have made all reasonable attempts to find the freeholder. For most situations an enquiry agent should be useful to try and locate and prepare an expert document which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering South West London.

I've found a house that seems to be perfect, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have just discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in South West London. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in South West London ?

The majority of houses in South West London are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor 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 be sure that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer will report to you on the legal implications.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of flats in South West London both have approximately fifty years unexpired on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in South West London. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the value of the lease decreases and it becomes more costly to extend the lease. This is why it is advisable to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We advise that you get professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this field

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in South West London from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

  • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in South West London can be bypassed if you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers lawyers.
  • The majority landlords or Management Companies in South West London levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in South West London.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in South West London state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such alterations. If you dont have the approvals in place do not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor first.
  • Some South West London leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice 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 purchasers or their solicitors.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Obtaining a re-issued share certificate can be a lengthy process and frustrates many a South West London conveyancing transaction. Where a duplicate share is needed, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible.

    • I have had difficulty in trying to purchase the freehold in South West London. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

    Where there is a absentee freeholder or where there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the LVT to judgment on the price.

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a South West London property 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 related to 2 flats. The unexpired term was 71.63 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in South West London