I only have 72 years left on my lease in Toddington. I now want to get lease extension but my landlord is absent. What are my options?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, 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 extended by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to find the landlord. On the whole an enquiry agent should be useful to carry out a search and prepare a report which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Toddington.

Expecting to exchange soon on a ground floor flat in Toddington. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they are sending me a report tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• You should be sent a copy of the lease

The total extent of the property. This will be the apartment itself but may include a roof space or cellar if appropriate.

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.

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

What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Toddington please ask your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Toddington

I am attracted to a couple of maisonettes in Toddington both have about 50 years left on the lease term. should I be concerned?

A lease is a right to use the property for a period of time. As a lease shortens the marketability of the lease decreases and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. Sometimes it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on such properties. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We advise that you seek professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this field

Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Toddington conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Toddington conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you speak with several firms including non Toddington conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be useful:

• How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?

If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the sale of our £350000 apartment in Toddington in just under a week. The landlords agents has quoted £312 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Toddington?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Toddington conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Answering pre-contract enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Toddington
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Toddington leasehold premises is £350. For Toddington 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 answers.

I bought a split level flat in Toddington, conveyancing formalities finalised 2012. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Toddington with an extended lease are worth £221,000. The ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2098

With 74 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £8,600 and £9,800 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

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Lease Extensions in Toddington