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

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Examples of recent questions relating to leasehold conveyancing in Keston

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Keston. Before diving in I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Keston - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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.

There are only 72 years remaining on my flat in Keston. I am keen to get lease extension but my landlord is can not be found. What should I do?

On the basis that you qualify, 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 extended by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to track down the landlord. In some cases an enquiry agent should be useful to carry out a search and to produce an expert document to be used as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Keston.

I am hoping to exchange soon on a studio apartment in Keston. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they are sending me a report next week. What should I be looking out for?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Keston should include some of the following:

  • Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
  • Defining your rights in respect of common areas in the block.For example, does the lease provide for a right of way over a path or staircase?
  • Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?
  • Whether the lease restricts you from renting out the flat, or working from home
  • An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat
  • 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. For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Keston please ask your lawyer in advance of your conveyancing in Keston

    • I have just started marketing my 2 bed apartment in Keston.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a quarterly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

    The sensible thing to do is 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 managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until 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.

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

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Keston can be reduced where you instruct lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers conveyancers.
    • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Keston leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. Should you fail to have the approvals in place you should not contact the landlord without contacting your lawyer before hand.
  • If you have had conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved before the property is put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where a dispute is unsettled. You may have to bite the bullet and discharge any arrears of service charge or settle 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 particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a replacement share certificate can be a time consuming formality and frustrates many a Keston home move. Where a reissued share certificate is required, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this as soon as possible.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but you should double-check via your solicitors. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the lease term is below 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

    • We have reached the end of our tether in seeking a lease extension in Keston. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

    You certainly can. 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 premises 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 affected 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 50.57 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Keston