Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Maidenhead. Before diving in I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Maidenhead - 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.

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Maidenhead conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Maidenhead conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you talk with two or three firms including non Maidenhead conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be of use:

• How experienced is the firm with lease extension legislation?

What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Maidenhead in the last year?

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Maidenhead with the aim of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Maidenhead can be reduced where you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers solicitors.
• Many landlords or managing agents in Maidenhead levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information 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 frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Maidenhead.

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 Maidenhead state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord consenting to such works. Where you fail to have the paperwork to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer before hand.

Some Maidenhead leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers.

If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Organising a replacement share certificate is often a time consuming process and frustrates many a Maidenhead home move. If a reissued share certificate is needed, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this as soon as possible.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the sale of our £475000 garden flat in Maidenhead next Thursday . The freeholder has quoted £396 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Maidenhead?

Maidenhead conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally results in fees being invoiced by managing agents :

• Answering pre-contract enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Maidenhead
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Maidenhead leasehold premises is £350. For Maidenhead conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to supply the information.

What are the common deficiencies that you encounter in leases for Maidenhead properties?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Maidenhead. Most leases are unique and drafting errors can result in certain clauses are missing. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the premises
• Insurance obligations
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

A defective lease will likely cause problems when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Barclays , Barnsley Building Society, and Godiva Mortgages Ltd all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the buyer to pull out.

Maidenhead Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Is anyone aware of any major works anticipated that could add a premium to the maintenance costs? How many years remain on the lease? How much is the ground rent and service charge?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Maidenhead