Stop! Your Lease Extension in Tongwynlais Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Tongwynlais 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 Tongwynlais 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 Tongwynlais lease extension


Top reasons for lease extension now:

Increase your lease and increase your Tongwynlais property value

The basic rule is, all other factors being equal, the shorter the lease the more expensive the premium. Qualifying leaseholders in Tongwynlais have the legal entitlement to extend the lease for a further 90 years under the 1993 Leasehold Reform Act. Please think carefully before delaying your Tongwynlais lease extension. Postponing that expense today simply increases the amount you will eventually be required to pay to extend the lease.

An extended lease is almost the same value as a freehold

It is conventional wisdom that a residential leasehold with in excess of one hundred years remaining is worth roughly the equivalent as a freehold. Where an further ninety years added to all but the shortest lease, the premises will be equivalent in value to a freehold for decades to come.

Mortgage lenders may not finance a property with a short lease

Most banks have tightened lending criteria in the last ten years and borrowers are encountering difficulties in arranging finance or re-mortgage against property with shorter lease terms, particularly below 75 years as they are regarded as insufficient security.

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.
Barnsley Building Society 60 years from the date of the mortgage application subject to 35 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
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.
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.

Why use us for your lease extension in Tongwynlais?

Engaging our service gives you enhanced control over the value of your Tongwynlais leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and marketable in respect of lease length should you decide to sell. The conveyancers that we work with have a wealth of experience of handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.

Tongwynlais Lease Extension Example Cases:

Daniel, Tongwynlais, Cardiff,

Daniel owned a 2 bedroom flat in Tongwynlais being marketed with a lease of a few days over 72 years remaining. Daniel informally spoke with his landlord a well known local-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 increase every twenty five years thereafter. No ground rent would be due on a lease extension were Daniel to exercise his statutory right. Daniel obtained expert advice and secured an acceptable deal informally and sell the flat.

Tongwynlais case:

Last Winter we were phoned by Mr Reuben Michel , who was assigned a lease of a first floor flat in Tongwynlais in April 1995. The question was if we could estimate the price would be for a 90 year lease extension. Comparable properties in Tongwynlais with 100 year plus lease were in the region of £216,000. The average ground rent payable was £60 collected quarterly. The lease finished in 2084. Having 58 years unexpired we calculated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £28,500 and £33,000 plus fees.

Tongwynlais case:

In 2010 we were contacted by Ms Naomi Young who, having took over the lease of a garden flat in Tongwynlais in May 2009. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) price could be to prolong the lease by an additional years. Identical flats in Tongwynlais with an extended lease were valued about £205,000. The average ground rent payable was £50 collected every twelve months. The lease expired on 4 March 2104. Considering the 78 years unexpired we calculated the premium to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £8,600 and £9,800 exclusive of legals.