Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Whitchurch:

Get a Quote

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Whitchurch, you will need to appoint a conveyancing solicitor with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Lloyds, Birmingham Midshires or Nationwide be sure to find a lawyer on their panel. Find a Whitchurch conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Recently asked questions relating to Whitchurch leasehold conveyancing

My wife and I may need to sub-let our Whitchurch 1st floor flat for a while due to a new job. We used a Whitchurch conveyancing firm in 2004 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Even though your last Whitchurch conveyancing solicitor is no longer around you can check your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the apartment. The rule is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you need to seek consent from your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. This means that you cannot sublet in the absence of prior permission. Such consent should not be unreasonably turned down. If your lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord for their consent.

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Whitchurch. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they will have a report out to me within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • You should be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this will change in the future
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice?
  • What you can do if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease?
  • What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Whitchurch please enquire of your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Whitchurch

    • Back In 2000, I bought a leasehold house in Whitchurch. Conveyancing and Skipton Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing practitioner in Whitchurch who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

    First make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Whitchurch conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

    I am looking at a couple of flats in Whitchurch which have in the region of fifty years remaining on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

    A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the saleability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more expensive to extend the lease. For this reason it is advisable to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We advise that you get professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena

    I've recently bought a leasehold property in Whitchurch. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?

    In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure 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).

    I own a garden flat in Whitchurch, conveyancing having been completed 2007. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar properties in Whitchurch with a long lease are worth £243,000. The ground rent is £60 charged once a year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2096

    With 74 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £11,400 and £13,200 as well as professional fees.

    The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Whitchurch