I want to rent out my leasehold apartment in St Neots. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Even though your previous St Neots conveyancing solicitor is not around you can check your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the apartment. The rule is that if the lease is silent, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you are obliged to seek consent from your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet in the absence of first obtaining consent. Such consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a leasehold house in St Neots. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in St Neots ?

Most houses in St Neots are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in St Neots so you should seriously consider looking for a St Neots conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer will report to you on the legal implications.

I am looking at a couple of flats in St Neots both have approximately 50 years left on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

A lease is a right to use the property for a period of time. As the lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease decreases and it becomes more expensive to extend the lease. This is why it is often a good idea 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 difficult process. We advise that you get professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena

I've recently bought a leasehold property in St Neots. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a St Neots conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a St Neots conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you speak with two or three firms including non St Neots conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be of use:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?

St Neots Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should ask before buying

You should want to discover as much as possible regarding the managing agents as they can either make living at the property much simpler or much more difficult. As the owner of a leasehold property you are often in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to every day issues like the tidiness of the common parts. Ask prospective neighbours whether they are happy with their service. In conclusion, find out the dates that the maintenance charges are due to the appropriate party and specifically what it includes. Who is in charge of the block? This question is important as a) areas may cause problems for the block as the common areas may start to deteriorate where services remain unpaid b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the managing agents you will wish to know about it

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Lease Extensions in St Neots