With a residential leasehold property in Whaley Bridge, you are in fact renting it for a certain period of time. In recent years flat leases are usually granted for 99 years or 125. Many leasehold owners become complacent as this seems like a lengthy period of time, you may consider extending the lease sooner rather than later. Accepted thinking is that the shorter the lease is the cost of extending the lease increases markedly especially once there are less than 80 years left. Residents in Whaley Bridge with a lease approaching 81 years remaining should seriously consider extending it as soon as possible. Once the lease term has under 80 years left, under the current Act the freeholder is entitled to calculate and demand a greater amount, based on a technical multiplication, strangely termed as “marriage value” which is due.
It is generally considered that a residential leasehold with over one hundred years remaining is worth approximately the same as a freehold. Where an additional 90 years added to any lease with more than 35 years remaining, the property will be worth the same as a freehold for many years in the future.
| 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. |
| Birmingham Midshires | Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage. |
| Halifax | Minimum 70 years from the date of the mortgage. |
| 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. |
Engaging our service will provide you increased control over the value of your Whaley Bridge leasehold, as your property will be more valuable and saleable in respect of lease length should you want to sell. The conveyancers that we work with are well versed in the legislation handling many hundreds of lease extensions or freehold purchase transactions.
Half a year ago Matthew, started to get near to the 80-year threshold with the lease on his leasehold apartment in Whaley Bridge. In buying his home twenty years ago, the unexpired term was of minimal interest. by good luck, he realised he needed to take steps soon on Extending the lease. Matthew extended the lease at the eleventh hour last September. Matthew and the landlord eventually settled on an amount of £5,000 . If the lease had dropped below eighty years, the figure would have become more exhorbitant by a minimum £975.
In 2011 we were called by Dr Elizabeth Miller who, having owned a recently refurbished flat in Whaley Bridge in March 2012. We are asked if we could shed any light on how much (roughly) price would be to prolong the lease by a further 90 years. Identical properties in Whaley Bridge with a long lease were valued around £230,800. The mid-range ground rent payable was £60 invoiced per annum. The lease came to a finish on 4 January 2086. Considering the 60 years left we approximated the compensation to the landlord for the lease extension to be within £24,700 and £28,600 not including expenses.
In 2010 we were called by Ms T Walker who, having purchased a garden apartment in Whaley Bridge in July 2003. The question was if we could estimate the premium could be for a ninety year extension to my lease. Similar homes in Whaley Bridge with a long lease were in the region of £210,000. The mid-range amount of ground rent was £50 collected monthly. The lease came to a finish in 2106. Taking into account 80 years unexpired we estimated the premium to the landlord to extend the lease to be within £8,600 and £9,800 not including legals.