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Top reasons for Frenchay lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

Increase your lease and increase your Frenchay property value

Frenchay leases on residential properties are gradually losing value. if your lease has approximately 90 years remaining, you should start thinking about a lease extension. If lease term is under eighty years, you will then have to pay 50% of the property's 'marriage value' in addition to the standard cost of the lease extension to your landlord. Marriage value is the amount of additional value that a lease extension will add to the property. Flat owners in Frenchay will usually qualify for a lease extension; however It would be wise to check with a conveyancer to check if you qualify. In some cases you may not be entitled. There are also strict deadlines and formalities to comply with once the process is triggered so it’s best to be guided by a conveyancing solicitor during the process.

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

It is conventional wisdom that a residential leasehold with over one hundred years unexpired lease term is worth approximately the same as a freehold. Where an additional ninety years added to any lease with more than 45 years left, the property will be equivalent in value to a freehold for many years in the future.

Banks and Building Societies may decide not to lend on a short lease

The definition of a short lease varies by mortgage company, yet lending institutions start to become concerned at around 75 years. This will cause difficulties when you wish to market or remortgage your flat as it will be practically unmortgageable. You might not have an immediate intention to sell but when you do your buyer must hold off for 2 years before being able to exercise the right to a a lease extension.

Lender Requirement
Halifax Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Lloyds TSB Scotland Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Skipton Building Society 85 years from the date of completion of the mortgage

For Buy to Let cases:
- lettings must not breach any of the lessee’s covenants; and
- consent of the lessor to lettings must be obtained if necessary
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.
Royal Bank of Scotland Mortgage term plus 30 years.

What makes us experts in Frenchay lease extensions?

Irrespective of whether you are a tenant or a freeholder in Frenchay,the lease extension experts that we work with will always be willing to discuss any residential leasehold matters and offer you the benefit of their experience and the close ties they enjoy with Frenchay valuers.

Frenchay Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Jade, Frenchay, Bristol,

After protracted correspondence with the freeholder of her one bedroom flat in Frenchay, Jade started the lease extension process as the eighty year mark was fast approaching. The lease extension was concluded in January 2010. The landlord’s charges were negotiated to approximately 650 pounds.

Frenchay case:

In 2009 we were approached by Mr and Mrs. Y Lefebvre who, having owned a garden flat in Frenchay in April 2007. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) compensation to the landlord would be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Identical premises in Frenchay with 100 year plus lease were worth £210,000. The average ground rent payable was £50 billed yearly. The lease ran out in 2105. Taking into account 80 years unexpired we estimated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £8,600 and £9,800 exclusive of professional charges.

Frenchay case:

Mr and Mrs. H David acquired a purpose-built flat in Frenchay in April 2002. The dilemma was if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) premium could be to prolong the lease by ninety years. Comparable properties in Frenchay with 100 year plus lease were valued around £275,000. The average ground rent payable was £45 collected per annum. The lease concluded on 8 November 2094. Given that there were 69 years remaining we calculated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £12,400 and £14,200 exclusive of legals.