Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in North Woolwich:

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Leasehold conveyancing in North Woolwich is more complex than freehold. Your home move will be smoother where you choose a lawyer with a wealth of experience of leasehold conveyancing in North Woolwich and across next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Sample questions relating to North Woolwich leasehold conveyancing

Due to exchange soon on a ground floor flat in North Woolwich. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they are sending me a report on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?
  • Are pets allowed in the flat?
  • Does the lease prevent you from renting out the property, or working from home
  • You need to be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
  • 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
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in North Woolwich please enquire of your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in North Woolwich

    • I own a leasehold flat in North Woolwich. Conveyancing and Bank of Ireland mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing solicitor in North Woolwich who acted for me is not around.Do I pay?

    The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a North Woolwich conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

    I am employed by a reputable estate agency in North Woolwich where we have witnessed a few flat sales put at risk due to short leases. I have been given inconsistent advice from local North Woolwich conveyancing firms. Can you confirm whether the owner of a flat can start the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

    Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser need not have to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

    An alternative approach is to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

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

    If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a North Woolwich conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you talk with several firms including non North Woolwich conveyancing practices before you 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 firm with lease extension legislation?
  • How many lease extensions has the firm carried out in North Woolwich in the last year?

    • Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in North Woolwich with the aim of expediting the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in North Woolwich can be bypassed if you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers conveyancers.
    • Many freeholders or managing agents in North Woolwich levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out 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 North Woolwich.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in North Woolwich state that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Should you fail to have the consents in place you should not contact the landlord without checking with your solicitor in advance.
  • A minority of North Woolwich leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly 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 actual amount of the service charge 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 remaining on your lease but it would be advisable double-check by asking your lawyers. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the lease term is less than 80 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

    • Following years of dialogue we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in North Woolwich. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

    You certainly can. We are happy to put you in touch with a North Woolwich conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Lease Extension decision for a North Woolwich property is 46 Credon Road in January 2014. On 11 September 2013 Deputy District Judge Price sitting at the Bow County Court made a vesting order that the freeholder surrender his lease and be granted a new lease of the Premises on such terms as may be determined by the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).The appropriate sum as concluded by the Tribunal was £7225 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 69.77 years.