Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in South Hackney. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and almost all are in South Hackney - 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.

There are only 62 years remaining on my lease in South Hackney. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is missing. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply 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 magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to find the landlord. On the whole an enquiry agent may 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 property lawyer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering South Hackney.

Looking forward to complete next month on a leasehold property in South Hackney. Conveyancing solicitors 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 South Hackney should include some of the following:

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, freeholder
• Setting out your legal entitlements in relation to the communal areas in the block.For instance, does the lease permit a right of way over an accessway or staircase?
• Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?
• 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 will change in the future
• The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building

I am a negotiator for a reputable estate agent office in South Hackney where we have witnessed a number of leasehold sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have been given inconsistent advice from local South Hackney conveyancing firms. Please can you clarify whether the vendor of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has been the owner 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. The benefit of this is that the buyer can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord 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 purchaser.

What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a South Hackney conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a South Hackney conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you speak with several firms including non South Hackney conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?
• Can they put you in touch with client in South Hackney who can give a testimonial?

I am the leaseholder of a a ground floor purpose built flat in South Hackney. Given that I can not reach agreement with the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount payable for the purchase of the freehold?

if there is a absentee freeholder or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the LVT to make a decision on the price.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a South Hackney flat is 150 Amhurst Road in December 2013. The tribunal concluded that the premium to be paid by the applicant for the enfranchisement of the subject property was £43,500. This case affected 4 flats. The remaining number of years on the lease was 90 (or thereabouts).

South Hackney Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries Prior to buying

Please inform me if there are any major works anticipated that will likely increase the service charges? The majority of South Hackney leasehold properties will be liable to pay a service charge for the upkeep of the building invoiced by the management company. If you purchase the property you will have to pay this liability, normally in instalments during the year. This could differ from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built blocks. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay annual, normally this is not a significant figure, say around £50-£100 but you need to enquire it because sometimes it can be surprisingly expensive. What prohibitions exist in the South Hackney Lease?