Stop! Your Lease Extension in Ireleth and Askam Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Ireleth and Askam 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 Ireleth and Askam 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.

Top reasons for Ireleth and Askam lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

Increase your lease and increase your Ireleth and Askam property value

The market value of a leasehold property in Ireleth and Askam depends on how many years the lease has remaining. If it is near to or fewer than eighty years you should foresee difficulties on re-sale, so it is advisable to arrange for the lease to be extended prior to buying. It is ideal to start the process of extending the lease is when the lease still has 82 years unexpired so that all matters can be addressed in advance of the eighty year mark. Current legislation entitles Ireleth and Askam qualifying lessees to an additional term of 90 years over and above the remaining term, at a peppercorn rent (no ground rent). The purpose of the valuation is to determine the premium payable by the lessee to the freeholder for the purchase of the lease extension.

Ireleth and Askam property with a lease extension has roughly the same value as a freehold

Leasehold premises in Ireleth and Askam with over one hundred years left on the lease are sometimes regarded as a ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease value the same as a freehold interest in your property. In such situations there is often little to be gained by buying the freehold unless savings on ground rent and service charges justify it.

Lenders may not finance a property with a short lease

Most mortgage companies will be unwilling to lend on a lease with less than 70 years left to run - although this varies between mortgage companies. A purchaser will undoubtedly find it difficult in obtaining a mortgage and this could result in your Ireleth and Askam property being difficult to dispose of or to obtain finance on.

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;
Birmingham Midshires Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage.
Godiva Mortgages 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.
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.

Get in touch with one of our Ireleth and Askam lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

The conveyancers that we work with procure Ireleth and Askam 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 conveyancing solicitor we work with provide it.

Ireleth and Askam Lease Extension Example Cases:

Lewis, Ireleth and Askam, Cumbria,

Lewis was the the leasehold proprietor of a 2 bedroom apartment in Ireleth and Askam being marketed with a lease of fraction over fifty eight years remaining. Lewis informally spoke with his freeholder a well known London-based freehold company for a lease extension. The freeholder was prepared to grant an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years subject to an increased rent to £100 annually. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be due on a lease extension were Lewis to invoke his statutory right. Lewis obtained expert legal guidance and secured an acceptable deal without resorting to tribunal and sell the property.

Ireleth and Askam case:

Last Autumn we were called by Mr and Mrs. P Michel , who took over the lease of a ground floor flat in Ireleth and Askam in September 2002. We are asked if we could estimate the price could be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Identical properties in Ireleth and Askam with an extended lease were in the region of £193,400. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £65 billed quarterly. The lease expiry date was in 2085. Taking into account 59 years outstanding we estimated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £21,900 and £25,200 plus professional charges.

Ireleth and Askam case:

Last year we were contacted by Mr and Mrs. I Lambert , who bought a basement apartment in Ireleth and Askam in October 2009. The question was if we could approximate the price would be for a ninety year lease extension. Identical residencies in Ireleth and Askam with an extended lease were worth £255,000. The average amount of ground rent was £50 billed monthly. The lease elapsed in 2096. Given that there were 70 years as a residual term we approximated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £10,500 and £12,000 exclusive of expenses.