I am intending to rent out my leasehold apartment in Cambridge. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Notwithstanding that your last Cambridge conveyancing solicitor is no longer available you can check your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the property. The rule is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you are obliged to seek permission via your landlord or some other party in advance of subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet without prior consent. Such consent must not not be unreasonably turned down. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

I am hoping to exchange soon on a basement flat in Cambridge. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they report fully within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

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

• The unexpired lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and aware of the importance of the 80 year mark

I've found a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have just found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in Cambridge. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Cambridge ?

Most houses in Cambridge are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Cambridge so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Cambridge conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the landlord’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer will advise you fully on all the issues.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Cambridge conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Cambridge conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you speak with several firms including non Cambridge conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be useful:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?

Are there frequently found defects that you see in leases for Cambridge properties?

Leasehold conveyancing in Cambridge is not unique. Most leases is drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain provisions are erroneous. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the building
• Insurance obligations
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

You may encounter a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Barclays , Skipton Building Society, and Bank of Ireland all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.

I inherited a 2 bed flat in Cambridge, conveyancing having been completed 1998. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Equivalent flats in Cambridge with a long lease are worth £243,000. The ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease ends on 21st October 2097

With 72 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £10,500 and £12,000 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Cambridge