Stop! Your Lease Extension in Long Hanborough Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Long Hanborough 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 Long Hanborough 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 Long Hanborough lease extension


Why you should start your Long Hanborough lease extension today:

A Long Hanborough leasehold property depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

Chances are that if you own a flat in Long Hanborough you actually own a long leasehold interest over your property

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

It is conventional wisdom that a property with more than 100 years remaining is worth roughly the equivalent as a freehold. Where an further ninety years added to all but the shortest lease, the residence will be worth the same as a freehold for many years in the future.

Banks and Building Societies may not grant a mortgage on a short lease

Whether or not the lease is be regarded as a short lease varies by mortgage company, yet banks and building societies start to get nervous at around 75 years. This will cause difficulties as and when you come to sell or refinance your flat as it will be practically unmortgageable. You might not have an imminent plan to sell but when you do your buyer will need to wait two years before being able to exercise the right to a a lease extension.

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.
Bank of 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.
Royal Bank of Scotland Mortgage term plus 30 years.
Virgin 85 years at the time of completion. If it's less, we require it to be extended on or before completion.

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

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

Long Hanborough Lease Extension Example Cases:

Riley, Long Hanborough, Oxfordshire,

Riley was the the leasehold proprietor of a studio apartment in Long Hanborough being marketed with a lease of a little over 72 years left. Riley informally spoke with his freeholder a well known Bristol-based freehold company for a lease extension. The freeholder was prepared to give an extension on non-statutory terms taking the lease to 125 years subject to a rise in the rent to £100 yearly. Ordinarily, ground rent would not be due on a lease extension were Riley to invoke his statutory right. Riley obtained expert advice and secured an acceptable deal without resorting to tribunal and ending up with a market value flat.

Long Hanborough case:

In 2012 we were contacted by Mr J King who, having bought a basement flat in Long Hanborough in August 2012. The dilemma was if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) price would be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Identical properties in Long Hanborough with 100 year plus lease were valued about £233,200. The average ground rent payable was £60 billed per annum. The lease ran out in 2087. Given that there were 61 years as a residual term we calculated the compensation to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £22,800 and £26,400 not including expenses.

Long Hanborough case:

In 2011 we were e-mailed by Mr and Mrs. H Mitchell who, having owned a basement apartment in Long Hanborough in January 2007. We are asked if we could approximate the price would likely be to extend the lease by 90 years. Identical residencies in Long Hanborough with a long lease were in the region of £166,800. The average amount of ground rent was £50 invoiced monthly. The lease finished on 21 January 2076. Given that there were 50 years as a residual term we calculated the compensation to the freeholder for the lease extension to be between £32,300 and £37,400 plus professional charges.