Chances are that if you own a flat in West London you actually own a long leasehold interest over your property
Leasehold properties in West London with in excess of 100 years remaining on the lease are sometimes regarded as a ‘virtual freehold’. This is where the lease is worth the same as a freehold interest in your property. In such situations there is often little upside in buying the reversionary interest unless savings on ground rent and service charges justify it.
| Lender | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| Godiva Mortgages | A minimum of 70 years unexpired lease at completion for all scheme types apart from Lifetime Mortgages (Equity Release), which require a minimum unexpired term of 80 years at completion. |
| 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. |
| TSB | Minimum of 70 years at mortgage commencement, with 30 years remaining at mortgage redemption. |
| Virgin | 85 years at the time of completion. If it's less, we require it to be extended on or before completion. |
Lease extensions in West London can be a difficult process. We recommend you obtain professional help from a lawyer and valuer with experience in this area.
We provide you with an expert from a selection of lease extension solicitors, which ensures a targeted and efficient service as you have a dedicated port of call with an individual lawyer. Our lease extension solicitors have in-depth market knowledge dealing with West London lease extensions and further afield, as well as any potential issues which may arise as well as problems with the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.
In the wake of 9 months of unsuccessful discussions with the freeholder of her studio apartment in West London, Katie started the lease extension process as the eighty year threshold was quickly advancing. The lease extension was finalised in March 2008. The landlord’s costs were negotiated to under 450 GBP.
Mr and Mrs. M Mitchell purchased a first floor flat in West London in October 2005. We are asked if we could approximate the price would be for a ninety year lease extension. Comparative premises in West London with an extended lease were worth £275,000. The average amount of ground rent was £55 invoiced monthly. The lease termination date was in 2101. Having 76 years as a residual term we estimated the premium to the freeholder to extend the lease to be within £9,500 and £11,000 exclusive of professional charges.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a West London premises is 137 & 139 Haberdasher Street in December 2013. The Tribunal determines in accordance with section 48 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease for each Property should be £12,350.00. This case was in relation to 2 flats. The remaining number of years on the lease was 72.39 years.