Leasehold Conveyancing in Ashbourne - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

Get a Quote

Leasehold conveyancing in Ashbourne is more complex than freehold. Your home move will be smoother where you choose a lawyer with a wealth of experience of leasehold conveyancing in Ashbourne and across next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Questions and Answers: Ashbourne leasehold conveyancing

My husband and I may need to rent out our Ashbourne ground floor flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We instructed a Ashbourne conveyancing practice in 2002 but they have closed and we did not think at the time get any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

A small minority of properties in Ashbourne do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord cannot unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

I have recently realised that I have 68 years unexpired on my lease in Ashbourne. I now want to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What options are available to me?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the freeholder. For most situations an enquiry agent should be useful to conduct investigations and to produce an expert document to be accepted by the court as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Ashbourne.

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a garden flat in Ashbourne. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they will have a report out to me on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Ashbourne should include some of the following:

  • The length of the lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and informed of the importance of the 80 year mark
  • Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
  • The total extent of the premises. This will be the property itself but could also include a loft or cellar if applicable.
  • Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?
  • Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • Responsibility for repairing the window frames For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Ashbourne please ask your conveyancer in advance of your conveyancing in Ashbourne

    • Back In 2008, I bought a leasehold flat in Ashbourne. Conveyancing and Halifax mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing solicitor in Ashbourne who previously acted has now retired.Any advice?

    The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Ashbourne conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

    Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Ashbourne with the aim of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Ashbourne can be bypassed if you instruct lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers conveyancers.
    • Many landlords or Management Companies in Ashbourne charge for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Ashbourne.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Ashbourne state that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. Should you dont have the consents in place you should not contact the landlord without checking with your conveyancer in advance.
  • A minority of Ashbourne leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their solicitors.
  • You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be advisable double-check via your lawyers. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is less than 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

    • I invested in buying a 1 bedroom flat in Ashbourne, conveyancing having been completed 2003. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Equivalent properties in Ashbourne with a long lease are worth £166,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2104

    With only 79 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £7,600 and £8,800 plus professional fees.

    The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Ashbourne