Stop! Your Lease Extension in Sprotbrough Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Sprotbrough 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 Sprotbrough 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 Sprotbrough lease extension


Why you should start your Sprotbrough lease extension today:

Increase your lease and increase your Sprotbrough property value

Unfortunately that a Sprotbrough 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 first few years due to the depreciation being disguised by increases in the Sprotbrough property prices.Once your lease nears 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' on top of the usual cost of the lease extension to the landlord. Marriage value is the amount of extra value that a lease extension will add the property The majority of flat owners in Sprotbrough will be able to extend under the legislation; however a lawyer will be able to confirm if you qualify for an extension. In some cases you may not qualify. There are also strict deadlines and procedures to be adhered to once the process has commenced and you will need to be guided by your conveyancer throughout the process.

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

Leasehold properties in Sprotbrough with in excess of 100 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 justify it.

Lenders may not loan monies on a short lease

Mortgage lenders are less likely to grant a mortgage on a domestic property in Sprotbrough with a short lease. Many lenders simply refuse to lend on leases with less than 75 years remaining.

Lender Requirement
Leeds Building Society 85 years remaining from the start 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
TSB Minimum of 70 years at mortgage commencement, with 30 years remaining at mortgage redemption.
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.

What makes us experts in Sprotbrough lease extensions?

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

Sprotbrough Lease Extension Case Summaries:

Samuel, Sprotbrough, South Yorkshire,

Samuel owned a 2 bedroom flat in Sprotbrough on the market with a lease of a few days over 72 years outstanding. Samuel informally approached his freeholder being a well known local-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 new rent initially set at £200 per annum and increase every 25 years thereafter. No ground rent would be payable on a lease extension were Samuel to invoke his statutory right. Samuel procured expert legal guidance and was able to make a more informed judgement and deal with the matter and readily saleable.

Sprotbrough case:

In 2014 we were e-mailed by Mr and Mrs. E Mason who, having took over the lease of a basement apartment in Sprotbrough in July 2011. We are asked if we could estimate the compensation to the landlord would likely be for a 90 year lease extension. Comparative flats in Sprotbrough with an extended lease were valued about £290,000. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £45 billed every twelve months. The lease concluded on 1 November 2098. Given that there were 72 years left we calculated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £11,400 and £13,200 plus fees.

Sprotbrough case:

In 2013 we were e-mailed by Mr Eliot Phillips who, having moved into a one bedroom apartment in Sprotbrough in November 2007. The dilemma was if we could approximate the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease. Identical premises in Sprotbrough with an extended lease were worth £233,200. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £60 collected per annum. The lease lapsed in 2087. Taking into account 61 years remaining we calculated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £22,800 and £26,400 exclusive of professional charges.