Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Brixton:

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Brixton, you will need to chose a conveyancing practitioner with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Santander, RBS or Bradford & Bingley be sure to choose a lawyer on their approved list. Feel free to use our search tool

Brixton leasehold conveyancing Example Support Desk Enquiries

I only have 68 years unexpired on my lease in Brixton. I need to extend my lease but my freeholder is can not be found. What options are available to me?

On the basis that 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 mean that your lease can be extended by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to find the lessor. In some cases a specialist should be useful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Brixton.

Expecting to exchange soon on a garden flat in Brixton. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they report fully tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • You should be sent a copy of the lease
  • The total extent of the property. This will be the flat itself but might include a roof space or cellar if appropriate.
  • Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
  • Responsibility for repairing the window frames For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Brixton please ask your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Brixton

    • Last month I purchased a leasehold property in Brixton. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

    Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

    If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

    What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Brixton conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

    When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Brixton conveyancing practice) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Brixton conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

    • How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?
  • Can they put you in touch with client in Brixton who can give a testimonial?

    • Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Brixton from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Brixton can be avoided if you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers conveyancers.
    • Many landlords or Management Companies in Brixton levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Brixton.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Brixton state that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. If you dont have the consents to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your conveyancer in the first instance.
  • If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should make sure that you are holding the original share document. Organising a new share certificate can be a lengthy process and slows down many a Brixton conveyancing deal. Where a duplicate share is required, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later.

    • I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord to extend my lease without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such matters? Can you recommend a Brixton conveyancing firm to help?

    Most definitely. We can put you in touch with a Brixton conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Brixton residence is 66 Southwell Road in March 2012. By Order of Deputy District Judge Stone dated 25 January 2012 a vesting order was made. The determination of the purchase price was referred to the Tribunal who decided that the amount payable for the freehold should be£29,612.00 This case was in relation to 3 flats. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 72.58 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Brixton