Stop! Your Lease Extension in Ystalyfera Could Be FREE

Many leaseholders in Ystalyfera 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 Ystalyfera 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 start your Ystalyfera lease extension


Why you should start your Ystalyfera lease extension today:

A Ystalyfera leasehold property depreciates with the years remaining on the lease.

When it comes to domestic leasehold property in Ystalyfera, you are actually purchasing an entitlement to live in a property for a prescribed time frame. Modern flat leases typically tend to be for 99 years or 125. Even though this may appear like a lengthy period of time, you should consider a lease extension sooner as opposed to later. Accepted thinking is that the shorter the lease is the cost of extending the lease increases markedly especially when there are less than 80 years remaining. Leasehold owners in Ystalyfera with a lease approaching 81 years remaining should seriously think of extending it as soon as possible. Once the lease term has below eighty years left, under the relevant legislation the freeholder can calculate and levy a greater amount, assessed on a technical calculation, strangely termed as “marriage value” which is due.

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

Leasehold premises in Ystalyfera with in excess of one hundred years left on the lease are sometimes 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 to be gained by purchasing the freehold unless savings on ground rent and estate charges justify it.

Lending institutions may not issue a mortgage on a short lease

Mortgage Lenders vary in their lending criteria. Some set the bar at seventy five years outstanding on the lease; others may be content with anything in excess seventy years. Below 60 years, it may be challenging to obtain a mortgage at all.

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.
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.
Royal Bank of Scotland Mortgage term plus 30 years.
Yorkshire 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.

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

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

Ystalyfera Lease Extension Example Cases:

Tyler, Ystalyfera, Neath Port Talbot

Half a year ago Tyler, came seriously close to the 80-year threshold with the lease on his one bedroom flat in Ystalyfera. In buying his flat two decades ago, the lease term was of minimal significance. by good luck, he became aware that he would imminently be paying an inflated amount for a lease extension. Tyler arranged for a lease extension at the eleventh hour in April. Tyler and the freeholder ultimately agreed on a premium of £6,000 . If he not met the deadline, the premium would have become more exhorbitant by a minimum £1,000.

Ystalyfera case:

Last October we were contacted by Mr and Mrs. V Bell , who took over the lease of a recently refurbished flat in Ystalyfera in March 1999. We are asked if we could estimate the premium would likely be to extend the lease by an additional years. Identical flats in Ystalyfera with a long lease were in the region of £176,200. The mid-range ground rent payable was £65 collected monthly. The lease termination date was in 2082. Given that there were 56 years remaining we calculated the premium to the landlord to extend the lease to be between £29,500 and £34,000 plus costs.

Ystalyfera case:

Last Winter we were called by Dr D Laurent , who was assigned a lease of a newly refurbished flat in Ystalyfera in October 1998. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (approximately) price would be to extend the lease by 90 years. Identical residencies in Ystalyfera with 100 year plus lease were worth £237,600. The mid-range ground rent payable was £45 collected per annum. The lease ran out on 13 June 2093. Taking into account 67 years as a residual term we approximated the premium to the freeholder for the lease extension to be within £11,400 and £13,200 exclusive of expenses.