My husband and I may need to let out our Altrincham garden flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Altrincham conveyancing practice in 2004 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

A lease dictates relations between the landlord and you the leaseholder; specifically, it will say if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. Most leases in Altrincham do not prevent strict prohibition on subletting – such a clause would undoubtedly devalue the property. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a duplicate of the sublease.

I have just appointed agents to market my garden apartment in Altrincham.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is discharge the invoice as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to be perfect, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have just found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Altrincham. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Altrincham ?

The majority of houses in Altrincham are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Altrincham in which case you should be looking for a Altrincham conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the landlord’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will report to you on the legal implications.

I own a leasehold flat in Altrincham. Conveyancing and Santander mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing solicitor in Altrincham who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

First contact the Land Registry to be sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Altrincham conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I am attracted to a two maisonettes in Altrincham both have about forty five years left on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a period of time. As a lease shortens the saleability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more costly to extend the lease. This is why it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We advise that you seek professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this area

Altrincham Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Most Altrincham leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service charge for maintenance of the block invoiced on behalf of the landlord. If you purchase the apartment you will have to pay this contribution, normally quarterly throughout the year. This could differ from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built buildings. In all probability there will be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, normally this is not a exorbitant amount, say around £25-£75 but you should to check it because occasionally it could be surprisingly expensive. You should be aware that where the lease has less than eighty years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the flat. It is worth checking with your mortgage company that they are willing to to proceed given the lease term. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will most likely have to extend the lease at some point and you need to have some idea of how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you will need to own the property for a couple of years in order to be eligible to carry out a lease extension.