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Main reasons to start your Forest Gate lease extension


Main reasons to commence your Forest Gate lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Forest Gate property value

The closer a domestic lease in Forest Gate nears to zero years unexpired, the the greater the reduction in the value of the property. Where the residual term has, beyond 100 years to run then this decrease may be negligible nevertheless there will become a point in time when a lease has under than eighty years unexpired as part of the premium you will incur is what is termed as a marriage value. This could be significant. It is the main rational as to why you should consider extending sooner than later. The majority of flat owners in Forest Gate will meet the qualifying criteria; that being said a conveyancing solicitor can confirm if you are eligible to extend your lease. In certain situations you may not qualify, the most common reason being that you have not been the owner of the property for two years.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

It is generally considered that a residential leasehold with in excess of one hundred years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the equivalent as a freehold. Where an further 90 years added to all but the shortest lease, the residence will be equivalent in value to a freehold for many years in the future.

Mortgage lenders may decide not to lend with a short lease

Banks and building societies do not like short residential leases. You most probably experience problems if you want to sell your flat in Forest Gate if the remaining term of your lease is less than the criteria set by most banks and building societies. Different mortgage companies have varying requirements but on the whole they are looking for a minimum remaining lease term of 65 years.

Lender Requirement
Accord Mortgages 85 years from the date of completion of the mortgage. Please ensure that you explain the implications of a short term lease to the borrower.
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.
Lloyds TSB Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
TSB Minimum of 70 years at mortgage commencement, with 30 years remaining at mortgage redemption.
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 Forest Gate lease extensions?

Engaging our service gives you increased control over the value of your Forest Gate leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and marketable in respect of lease length should you want to sell. The conveyancing solicitors that we work with have a in-depth market knowledge handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Forest Gate Lease Extension Case Studies:

Tia, Forest Gate, London,

In the wake of eight months of unsuccessful discussions with the freeholder of her basement flat in Forest Gate, Tia commenced the lease extension process just as her lease was coming close to the critical 80-year threshold. The legal work completed in March 2014. The landlord’s charges were negotiated to approximately 450 GBP.

Forest Gate case:

Mr and Mrs. E Sharif purchased a purpose-built apartment in Forest Gate in July 1999. The dilemma was if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) price would be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Comparative homes in Forest Gate with 100 year plus lease were worth £210,000. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £50 collected monthly. The lease ended in 2105. Given that there were 80 years left we estimated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be within £8,600 and £9,800 exclusive of expenses.

Decision in Newham

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Forest Gate flat is 52 & 54 Green Street in February 2010. Following a vesting order by the County Court the Tribunal decided that the price that the Applicant for the freehold interest should pay is £20,543 This case was in relation to 2 flats. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 78 and 80.