Stop! Your Lease Extension in Allenton Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Allenton are unaware that their original lawyer had a duty to warn them about future mortgageability and saleability issues. Before you pay thousands to your freeholder, let us audit your purchase history. You might have a claim that pays for your lease extension in full

If you are facing a significant premium because your lease in Allenton has dropped toward the 80-year mark, your previous lawyer may be at fault. Our panel of experts specialise in recovering lease extension costs from negligent firms who failed to protect your investment.

Why you should commence your Allenton lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

A Allenton leasehold property depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

Allenton leases on residential properties are gradually losing value. if your lease has about ninety years remaining, you should start considering the need for a lease extension. It is important to recognise that it is that it is desirable for the lease extension to be in place before the term of the existing lease dips under 80 years - otherwise a higher premium will be payable. Flat owners in Allenton will mostly be legally entitled to a lease extension; however a solicitor should be able confirm your eligibility. In certain cases you may not be entitled. There are prescribed timetables and procedures to follow once the process has commenced so it’s sensible to be guided by a lawyer during the process.

Allenton property with a lease extension has roughly the same value as a freehold

Leasehold properties in Allenton with in excess of one hundred years outstanding on the lease are often regarded as a ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease value the same as a freehold interest in your home. In such situations there is often little upside in purchasing the reversionary interest unless savings on ground rent and maintenance charges justify it.

Banks and Building Societies may decide not to finance a property with a short lease

Whether or not the lease is be regarded as a short lease varies by mortgage company, yet banks and building societies start to get jittery at around 75 years. This may be problematic as and when you wish to dispose of or remortgage your property as it will be effectively unmortgageable. Even though you might not have an imminent intention to sell but when you do your purchaser will have to hold off for 2 years before they can exercise the right to a a lease extension.

Lender Requirement
Bank of Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Barnsley Building Society 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
Coventry Building Society A minimum of 70 years unexpired lease at completion for all scheme types apart from Lifetime Mortgages (Equity Release), which require a minimum unexpired term of 80 years at completion.
Nationwide Building Society - Our minimum unexpired lease term is 55 years, except where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat, in which case our minimum unexpired term is 90 years.
- There must be at least 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term (regardless of the length of lease at the start).

Where the unexpired lease term is different to that recorded on the mortgage offer, the following clarifies if we need to be informed:

Second hand property:
- If the unexpired lease term on the offer is 85 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 85 years
- if the unexpired lease term on the offer is less than 85 years – advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported
- For equity share applications - advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer
- Where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat and the unexpired lease term on the offer is 90 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 90 years.

New build property:
- If the unexpired lease term stated on the offer is 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house) or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house)
- For equity share applications - always advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer

Lease terms such as ground rent and event fees must be reasonable at all times during the term of the lease and adhere to our requirements below. If you’re unsure as to whether the terms of a lease are unreasonable or onerous, please refer the details to us in plain English for Valuer consideration. If the potentially onerous terms are in relation to the ground rent please include the current ground rent figure per annum, how often it will be reviewed and the price structure it will be reviewed against. See the guidance below.

SECOND HAND PROPERTIES

Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (Will be declined):
- Unexpired lease term less than 55 years
- Unexpired lease term less than 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat
- Less than 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term
- Ground Rent greater than 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent doubles less than every 20 years (e.g. doubles every 5, 10 or 15 years) - acceptable if doubles every 20 years or more
- Ground Rent is compounded RPI
- Ground Rent review period is less than or equal to 5 years

Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Unexpired lease term is 55 to 85 years
- Ground Rent greater than 0.1% and less than or equal to 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to any indices greater than RPI
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building*
- Ground Rent review period is greater than 5 and less than 10 years
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial, etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything that appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary

Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than 85 years (Minimum 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat)
- Ground Rent less than or equal to 0.1% of the property value
- Ground Rent review period greater than or equal to 10 years
- Ground Rent escalation less than or equal to RPI

NEW BUILD PROPERTIES (includes office conversions)

Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (Will be declined)
- Unexpired lease term less than 125 years on a new build flat or less than 250 years on a new build house (does not apply to Shared Ownership)
- Any lease which is subject to a Ground Rent (or Annual Rent) being charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis
- Any lease which is subject to a Ground Rent (or Annual Rent) being charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis

Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything else appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary

Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than or equal to 125 years on a new build flat or greater than or equal to 250 years on a new build house
- A lease subject to a peppercorn Ground Rent (Annual Rent) charges

For the avoidance of doubt, any New Build properties completed but not sold pre-30 June 2022 will only be acceptable if the Lease conforms to the above guidance.

* Where the Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building, please provide the following:
- How is the value of the block/unit currently calculated and if the assessment relates to the block(s), how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned per property?
- The current valuation and Ground Rent for each unit
- What is the mechanism for future valuations of the block and how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned?
- What is the right of appeal? And is this a documented process within the lease?
- Who bears the cost of the valuation (and appeal) process?
- Confirmation the review period is not less than twenty years.

Lease Extensions

We require all Lease Extensions to be completed under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 and to meet the above criteria as a minimum. Where you become aware that it does not meet these requirements, please refer to Issuing Office.

Please ensure that all lender enquiries are submitted (with full documentation/requirements) at least 2 weeks prior to exchange to allow sufficient time for review and decisioning.
Virgin 85 years at the time of completion. If it's less, we require it to be extended on or before completion.

Why use us for your lease extension in Allenton?

The conveyancers that we work with handle Allenton lease extensions and help protect your position. A lease extension can be arranged to be completed to coincide with a change of ownership so the costs of the lease extension are paid for using part of the sale proceeds. You really do need expert legal advice in this difficult and technical area of law. The lawyer we work with provide it.

Allenton Lease Extension Case Studies:

Charlie, Allenton, Derbyshire,

Charlie was the the leasehold owner of a 2 bedroom apartment in Allenton being sold with a lease of just over 61 years unexpired. Charlie on an informal basis approached his landlord being a well known Manchester-based freehold company for a lease extension. The freeholder was prepared to give an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of an increased rent to £100 yearly. No ground rent would be due on a lease extension were Charlie to exercise his statutory right. Charlie obtained expert legal guidance and was able to make an informed judgement and handle with the matter and ending up with a market value flat.

Allenton case:

In 2014 we were contacted by Mr and Mrs. E Moreau who, having took over the lease of a studio apartment in Allenton in July 2005. The question was if we could approximate the price would be to extend the lease by 90 years. Similar premises in Allenton with a long lease were in the region of £230,800. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £60 invoiced annually. The lease finished in 2086. Having 60 years outstanding we calculated the premium to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £24,700 and £28,600 exclusive of professional charges.

Allenton case:

In 2013 we were contacted by Ms L Sánchez who, having moved into a one bedroom flat in Allenton in August 2009. The dilemma was if we could estimate the price could be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Comparable premises in Allenton with 100 year plus lease were worth £210,000. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £50 billed every twelve months. The lease expiry date was in 2106. Considering the 80 years left we approximated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £8,600 and £9,800 exclusive of legals.