Stop! Your Lease Extension in Llanrwst Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Llanrwst 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 Llanrwst 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.

Main reasons to commence your Llanrwst lease extension


Why you should start your Llanrwst lease extension today:

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

Llanrwst leases on residential properties are gradually losing value. The shorter the remaining lease term becomes, the less it is worth – and accordingly any extension of the lease gets more expensive. It is the case that most Llanrwst tenants have the right to extend their lease by an additional 90 years under the 1993 Leasehold Reform Act. Where you are a leasehold owner in Llanrwst you really ought to investigate if your lease has between seventy and 90 years remaining. There are compelling reasons why a Llanrwst flat owner with a lease having around eighty years remaining should take action to make sure that a lease extension is put in place without delay

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

It is generally accepted that a residential leasehold with in excess of one hundred years remaining is worth approximately the same as a freehold. Where an further 90 years added to any lease with more than 30 years unexpired, the property will be worth the same as a freehold for decades to come.

Lending institutions may not issue a mortgage with a short lease

Mortgage lenders have set criteria when loaning funds charged on leasehold homes. Some will simply refrain from lending at all once the residual lease term falls beneath a specified unexpired lease term. Many Banks and Building Societies will not regard property with an unexpired below seventy years as adequate security. As well as this being important when selling, it is also relevant if you are intending to refinance your Llanrwst home.

Lender Requirement
Barnsley Building Society 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
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.
Halifax 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.
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 Llanrwst lease extension solicitors or enfranchisement solicitors

Regardless of whether you are a tenant or a freeholder in Llanrwst,the lease extension experts that we work with will always be prepared to discuss any residential leasehold matters and offer you the benefit of their in-depth market knowledge and the close ties they enjoy with Llanrwst valuers.

Llanrwst Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Rory, Llanrwst, Conwy,

Rory was the the leasehold proprietor of a high value apartment in Llanrwst being marketed with a lease of a few days over fifty eight years left. Rory on an informal basis contacted his landlord a well known London-based freehold company and enquired on a premium to extend the lease. The freeholder indicated a willingness to grant an extension taking the lease to 125 years on the basis of a new rent to start with set at £150 per annum and doubled every 25 years thereafter. No ground rent would be due on a lease extension were Rory to exercise his statutory right. Rory procured expert legal guidance and was able to make an informed decision and deal with the matter and readily saleable.

Llanrwst case:

Last Christmas we were approach by Dr Liam García , who moved into a garden apartment in Llanrwst in October 2010. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) premium would likely be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Identical properties in Llanrwst with an extended lease were worth £242,600. The average ground rent payable was £45 collected annually. The lease lapsed on 4 March 2093. Considering the 67 years unexpired we approximated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £11,400 and £13,200 not including fees.

Llanrwst case:

Mr and Mrs. C Martinez took over the lease of a studio apartment in Llanrwst in May 2005. The dilemma was if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) compensation to the landlord would likely be for a 90 year lease extension. Similar premises in Llanrwst with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £280,000. The average ground rent payable was £55 invoiced monthly. The lease end date was on 23 June 2104. Having 78 years as a residual term we calculated the premium to the landlord for the lease extension to be between £13,300 and £15,400 exclusive of costs.