When it comes to residential leasehold property in Thames View, you effectively rent it for a certain period of time. In recent years flat leases typically tend to be for 99 years or 125. Even though this may appear like a long period of time, you should think about extending the lease sooner rather than later. The general rule is that the shorter the number of years is the cost of extending the lease increases markedly especially once there are less than eighty years left. Leasehold owners in Thames View with a lease approaching 81 years left should seriously consider extending it sooner as opposed to later. When the lease term has below eighty years left, under the relevant legislation the landlord can calculate and charge a greater premium, assessed on a technical computation, known as “marriage value” which is due.
It is generally considered that a residential leasehold with over one hundred years unexpired lease term is worth roughly the equivalent as a freehold. Where an further ninety years added to all but the shortest lease, the property will be worth the same as a freehold for many years ahead.
| Lender | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Barclays plc | Leases with less than 70 years at the commencement of the mortgage should be declined (see exception below). Leases with greater than 70 years but fewer than 85 years remaining must be referred to issuing office. 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; |
| Chelsea Building Society | 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
Retaining our service gives you enhanced control over the value of your Thames View leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and marketable in respect of lease length should you wish to sell. The conveyancers that we work with are well versed in the legislation handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.
Trailing lengthy negotiations with the freeholder of her garden flat in Thames View, Paige commenced the lease extension process as the eighty year threshold was fast approaching. The legal work completed in February 2011. The freeholder’s fees were kept to an absolute minimum.
Last month we were e-mailed by Mr Tyler Clarke , who took over the lease of a ground floor apartment in Thames View in September 2011. The question was if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) premium could be to extend the lease by an additional years. Identical properties in Thames View with an extended lease were valued about £191,400. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £55 billed every twelve months. The lease ended on 7 July 2079. Considering the 54 years outstanding we estimated the compensation to the freeholder to extend the lease to be between £34,200 and £39,600 exclusive of legals.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Thames View premises is 49 Aldborough Road South in July 2012. The Tribunal decided that the premium payable for the grant of the new lease was £13,925 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired term was 61.36 years.