I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in St Leonard Shoreditch. Before diving in I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in St Leonard Shoreditch - 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 Sixty One years unexpired on my lease in St Leonard Shoreditch. I need to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What options are available to me?

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 mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to find the landlord. On the whole an enquiry agent would be helpful to conduct investigations and to produce a report to be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering St Leonard Shoreditch.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in St Leonard Shoreditch. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in St Leonard Shoreditch are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in St Leonard Shoreditch so you should seriously consider looking for a St Leonard Shoreditch conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

I own a leasehold flat in St Leonard Shoreditch. Conveyancing and Virgin Money mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1994. The conveyancing solicitor in St Leonard Shoreditch who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a St Leonard Shoreditch conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a St Leonard Shoreditch conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a St Leonard Shoreditch conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you speak with several firms including non St Leonard Shoreditch conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be helpful:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
• Can they put you in touch with client in St Leonard Shoreditch who can give a testimonial?

Despite our best efforts, we have been unsuccessful in trying to purchase the freehold in St Leonard Shoreditch. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a St Leonard Shoreditch conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a St Leonard Shoreditch flat is 137 & 139 Haberdasher Street in December 2013. The Tribunal determines in accordance with section 48 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease for each Property should be £12,350.00. This case was in relation to 2 flats. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 72.39 years.

I invested in buying a leasehold flat in St Leonard Shoreditch, conveyancing having been completed 1996. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding properties in St Leonard Shoreditch with over 90 years remaining are worth £195,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2092

With 66 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £15,200 and £17,600 as well as legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.