Stop! Your Lease Extension in Benllech Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Benllech 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 Benllech 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.

Main reasons to start your Benllech lease extension


Why you should commence your Benllech lease extension today:

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

The nearer a domestic lease in Benllech gets to zero years unexpired, the the greater the reduction in the value of the property. If the lease has, more than 99 years remaining then this decrease may be fractional however there will become a point in time when a lease has less than eighty years left as part of the premium you will incur is what is known as a marriage value. This could increase sharply the cost. It is the main reason why you should consider extending without delay. Most flat owners in Benllech will meet the qualifying criteria; that being said a conveyancing solicitor can confirm whether you are eligible for a lease extension. In limited situations you may not qualify, the most frequent reason being that you have not been the owner of the property for two years.

Benllech property with a lease extension is almost the same value as a freehold

Leasehold properties in Benllech with more than 100 years remaining on the lease are often regarded as a ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease is worth the same as a freehold interest in your premises. In such situations there is often little to be gained by buying the freehold unless savings on ground rent and maintenance charges warrant it.

Banks and Building Societies may not loan monies on a short lease

Mortgage companies are really clamping down as regards to properties in Benllech with short leases. For instance you may find that their lending criteria are stricter and that they adjust interest rates depending on how many years are left on the lease. Some may even refuse to lend completely, so if you wanted to sell, your only options would be to find a cash buyer, or try your luck at auction thus limiting your market.

Lender Requirement
Barnsley Building Society 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
Birmingham Midshires Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Halifax Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Lloyds TSB Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
The Mortgage Works Minimum unexpired lease term is 70 years with 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
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

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 70 years
- 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 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 70 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 1.0% 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
- 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
- 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 reviewed and altered on any review basis or methodology

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 1.0% 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 the 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.

What makes us experts in Benllech lease extensions?

The conveyancers that we work with handle Benllech 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.

Benllech Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Madeleine, Benllech, Isle Of Anglesey,

After protracted correspondence with the landlord of her first floor flat in Benllech, Madeleine started the lease extension process as the eighty year deadline was rapidly nearing. The lease extension was finalised in January 2006. The landlord’s charges were kept to an absolute minimum.

Benllech case:

In 2011 we were e-mailed by Mrs E Ramírez who, having acquired a ground floor apartment in Benllech in July 2006. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) premium would likely be to extend the lease by a further 90 years. Comparable residencies in Benllech with 100 year plus lease were worth £181,600. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £55 collected quarterly. The lease concluded in 2078. Considering the 52 years left we estimated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £30,400 and £35,200 not including expenses.

Benllech case:

In 2009 we were contacted by Mr and Mrs. F González who, having was assigned a lease of a purpose-built apartment in Benllech in November 2012. The question was if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) compensation to the landlord could be for a 90 year lease extension. Comparative properties in Benllech with an extended lease were in the region of £285,000. The average ground rent payable was £45 collected monthly. The lease concluded in 2098. Given that there were 72 years unexpired we calculated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £12,400 and £14,200 exclusive of professional charges.