Fitzrovia residential property held on a long lease is a depreciating asset as the leaseholder merely owns the property for a period of years.
Leasehold residencies in Fitzrovia with more than 100 years remaining on the lease are often referred to as ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease value the same as a freehold interest in your premises. In such situations there is often little to be gained by purchasing the reversionary interest unless savings on ground rent and service charges warrant it.
| 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. |
| Lloyds TSB Scotland | Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage. |
| Santander | You must report the unexpired lease term to us and await our instructions if: 1. the unexpired term assumed by our valuer is between 55 and 82 years, but the actual unexpired term differs by more than one year (whether longer or shorter); or 2. the unexpired term assumed by our valuer is more than 82 years but the actual unexpired term is less than 82 years; or 3. no valuation report is provided However, we will not accept a lease where on expiry of the mortgage: (i) less than 50 years remain and all or part of the loan is repaid on an interest-only basis: or (ii) less than 30 years remain and the loan is repaid on a capital and interest basis We will accept a lease that has been extended under the provisions of the Leasehold Reform Act 1993 provided statutory compensation would be available to the leaseholder. |
| TSB | Minimum of 70 years at mortgage commencement, with 30 years remaining at mortgage redemption. |
Retaining our service gives you better control over the value of your Fitzrovia leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and marketable in respect of lease length should you decide to sell. The conveyancers that we work with have a wealth of experience of handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.
Off the back of lengthy correspondence with the freeholder of her purpose-built flat in Fitzrovia, Amber commenced the lease extension process as the 80 year threshold was rapidly coming. The legal work completed in June 2013. The landlord’s fees were restricted to approximately 450 GBP.
Last Autumn we were contacted by Mr and Mrs. M Khan , who moved into a one bedroom flat in Fitzrovia in September 1995. The dilemma was if we could approximate the premium could be to extend the lease by ninety years. Comparable homes in Fitzrovia with 100 year plus lease were valued about £218,000. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £45 invoiced annually. The lease elapsed on 23 May 2088. Taking into account 63 years outstanding we calculated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be between £17,100 and £19,800 plus costs.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Fitzrovia property is 20 Avonwick Road in July 2013. The Tribunal was dealing with an application under Section 26 of the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 for a determination of the freehold value of the property. It was concluded that the price to be paid was Fifteen Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy (£15,970) divided as to £8,200 for Flat 20 and £7,770 for Flat 20A This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 73.26 years.