Harry (my fiance) and I may need to rent out our Kimbolton ground floor flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We instructed a Kimbolton conveyancing practice in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time seek any guidance as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your last Kimbolton conveyancing lawyer is not available you can check your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the property. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you are obliged to obtain permission via your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet without first obtaining consent. Such consent should not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 72 years remaining on my lease in Kimbolton. I now want to get lease extension but my landlord is absent. 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 for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to find the freeholder. On the whole a specialist should be useful to try and locate and prepare a report which can be used as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on proving the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Kimbolton.

I am looking at a two maisonettes in Kimbolton both have approximately fifty years unexpired on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in Kimbolton. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a period of time. As the lease gets shorter the value of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more costly to extend the lease. This is why it is generally wise to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage companies may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We advise that you get professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Kimbolton with the aim of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Kimbolton can be avoided if you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
• Many landlords or Management Companies in Kimbolton charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Kimbolton.

We expect to complete the disposal of our £200000 maisonette in Kimbolton on Tuesday in a week. The managing agents has quoted £372 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Kimbolton?

Kimbolton conveyancing on leasehold flats normally requires the purchaser’s lawyer sending questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer these enquiries the majority will be content to assist. They are at liberty charge a reasonable charge for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it is in excess of £800. The administration charge demanded by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the charge is technically not due. Reality however dictates that you have little choice but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I acquired a basement flat in Kimbolton, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar properties in Kimbolton with over 90 years remaining are worth £172,000. The ground rent is £65 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 2077

With just 52 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £31,400 and £36,200 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

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Lease Extensions in Kimbolton