Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Keston. Before diving in I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is registered - and most are in Keston - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title.For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I wish to sublet my leasehold flat in Keston. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Is permission from the freeholder required?

The lease governs relations between the freeholder and you the leaseholder; in particular, it will say if subletting is banned, 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. The majority of leases in Keston do not prevent subletting altogether – such a provision would undoubtedly devalue the property. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a copy of the tenancy agreement.

I’m about to sell my basement apartment in Keston.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge the service charge 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 management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Keston conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Keston conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you make enquires with several firms including non Keston conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

• How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?
• What are the legal fees for lease extension work?

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Keston with the purpose of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Keston can be bypassed where you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers solicitors.
• Many freeholders or managing agents in Keston charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Keston.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Keston state that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such alterations. Should you fail to have the paperwork to hand do not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor first.
• Some Keston leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the annual 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their solicitors.
• You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to double-check via your lawyers. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is under 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

Having spent months of correspondence we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Keston. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

Most certainly. We are happy to put you in touch with a Keston conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Keston residence is 1 Southlands Court Southlands Road in September 2013. The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal determined that the premium to be paid by the tenant on the grant of a new lease, in accordance with section 56 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 was £30,541 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The the unexpired term as at the valuation date was 50.57 years.

Keston Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should consider before buying

Who are the managing agents? It is important to be aware if a new roof is being put on or some other significant cost is due in the foreseeable future that will be shared amongst the leaseholders and may well materially impact the level of the service charges or necessitate a specific payment.