Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Woburn. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Woburn - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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 wish to rent out my leasehold apartment in Woburn. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

Notwithstanding that your last Woburn conveyancing solicitor is not around you can review your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the premises. The rule is that if the lease is non-specific, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you must obtain permission via your landlord or some other party prior to subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. Such consent should not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If your lease prohibits you from subletting the property you should ask your landlord for their consent.

I’m about to sell my ground floor flat in Woburn.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a quarterly service charge invoice – what should I do?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear the service charge as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

All being well we will complete the disposal of our £350000 apartment in Woburn on Thursday in a week. The freeholder has quoted £372 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Woburn?

Woburn conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually necessitates the purchaser’s lawyer submitting enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer these enquiries the majority will be willing to do so. They are at liberty invoice a reasonable administration fee for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some situations it exceeds £800. The management information fee required by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the charge is technically not due. Reality however dictates that you have little choice but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

What makes a Woburn lease problematic?

Leasehold conveyancing in Woburn is not unique. All leases are unique and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain clauses are missing. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the premises
• Insurance obligations
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

You may encounter difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Nationwide Building Society, Leeds Building Society, and Aldermore all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.

Woburn Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

Does this lease have in excess of 82 years left? The prefered form of lease arrangement is where the freehold title is owned by the leaseholders. In this arrangement the tenants have being in charge if their destiny and even though a managing agent is usually retained if the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. Plenty Woburn leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service bill for the upkeep of the building invoiced by the freeholder. Where you buy the property you will have to meet this liability, usually periodically during the year. This can be anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built buildings. In all probability there will be a rentcharge to be met annual, this is usually not a exorbitant amount, say approximately £25-£75 but you need to check as sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Woburn