Stop! Your Lease Extension in Hayes Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Hayes 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 Hayes 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 Hayes lease extension


Why you should start your Hayes lease extension today:

A Hayes lease depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

It’s an underpublicised truth that a Hayes residential lease is a deteriorating asset. As the lease term reduces so does the value of the property. The extent of this is taken for granted in the early years due to the depreciation being disguised by increases in the Hayes property market.Once your lease gets to 85ish years, you should start thinking about a lease extension. If lease term falls below 80 years, you will end up paying 50% of the property's 'marriage value' in addition to the usual cost of the lease extension to the landlord. The marriage fee is the amount of extra value that a lease extension will add the property The majority of flat owners in Hayes will be able to extend under the legislation; however a conveyancing solicitor should be able to clarify whether you qualify for an extension. In some situations you may not be entitled. There are also strict timeframes and procedures to be adhered to once the process has commenced and you will need to be guided by your lawyer from beginning to end of the formalities.

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

Leasehold premises in Hayes with over one hundred years left 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 service charges warrant it.

Mortgage lenders may decide not to grant a mortgage on a short lease

Most banks have constrained their lending criteria in the last ten years and borrowers are finding it increasingly difficult to raise finance or re-mortgage against flats with shorter lease terms, particularly below seventy years as they are deemed to be inadequate for lending purposes.

Lender Requirement
Barclays plc Leases with less than 70 years at the commencement of the mortgage are not acceptable.

Leases with fewer than 70 years should only be referred to the issuing office where the following scenario applies, as discretion may be applied subject to bank approval:

• Property is located in any of the following prestigious developments: Cadogan, Crown, Grosvenor, Howard de Walden, Portman or Wellcome Trust Estates in Central London AND
• The value of the property subject to the short remaining term is £500,000 or more AND
• The loan to value does not exceed 90% for purchases, 90% like for like re-mortgages, 80% for re-mortgages with any element of capital raising and 80% for existing Barclays mortgage borrowers applying for additional borrowing;
Leeds Building Society 85 years remaining from the start of the mortgage.
National Westminster Bank Mortgage term plus 30 years.

For Shared Ownership, the remaining term of the lease must be at least 75 years plus the term of the mortgage at the outset 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.
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

Get in touch with one of our Hayes lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

Retaining our service gives you increased control over the value of your Hayes leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and marketable in respect of lease length should you decide to sell. The conveyancing solicitors that we work with have a wealth of experience of handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Hayes Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Freddie, Hayes, North London,

Freddie was the the leasehold proprietor of a conversion apartment in Hayes on the market with a lease of fraction over sixty years left. Freddie on an informal basis contacted his landlord a well known local-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The landlord was prepared to grant an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of a rise in the rent to £200 per annum. No ground rent would be due on a lease extension were Freddie to exercise his statutory right. Freddie procured expert advice and secured satisfactory resolution without going to tribunal and ending up with a market value flat.

Hayes case:

Mr and Mrs. V Morel purchased a studio flat in Hayes in September 2003. We are asked if we could estimate the price could be to prolong the lease by an additional years. Comparable residencies in Hayes with 100 year plus lease were worth £191,400. The average ground rent payable was £55 billed monthly. The lease finished in 2080. Given that there were 54 years outstanding we approximated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £34,200 and £39,600 not including expenses.

Decision in Hillingdon

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Hayes residence is 164 Nestles Avenue in October 2013. The tribunal agreed with the proposed price of £20,158 for the freehold and determined that that sum is the amount to be paid into court This case affected 2 flats. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 69 years.