My partner and I may need to sub-let our Woolacombe 1st floor flat temporarily due to a new job. We instructed a Woolacombe conveyancing practice in 2001 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your previous Woolacombe conveyancing solicitor is no longer around you can review 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 permission via your landlord or some other party in advance of subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet without first obtaining consent. The consent should not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I only have 68 years remaining on my flat in Woolacombe. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is missing. What are my options?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to track down the freeholder. On the whole a specialist would be useful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document which can be used as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer both on investigating the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Woolacombe.

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a ground floor flat in Woolacombe. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they will have a report out to me next week. What should I be looking out for?

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

• Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat?
• You should be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
• You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
• 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.
• What you can do if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease?

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Woolacombe from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Woolacombe can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ solicitors.
• The majority landlords or managing agents in Woolacombe levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Woolacombe.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Woolacombe leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord consenting to such works. Should you dont have the approvals in place you should not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in advance.
• If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should make sure that you hold the original share document. Arranging a replacement share certificate can be a lengthy formality and frustrates many a Woolacombe home move. Where a reissued share certificate is required, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.
• You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable double-check by asking your conveyancers. A purchaser's lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is under 80 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

We expect to complete the disposal of our £ 375000 apartment in Woolacombe on Thursday in a week. The managing agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Woolacombe?

Woolacombe conveyancing on leasehold flats more often than not involves the buyer’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to respond to these enquiries the majority will be willing to do so. They are entitled charge a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it is in excess of £800. The management information fee required by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the charge is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that you have little choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to sell the property.

I invested in buying a garden flat in Woolacombe, conveyancing having been completed 1999. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar flats in Woolacombe with an extended lease are worth £190,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £60 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2103

With 77 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £11,400 and £13,200 plus costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.