Helen (my wife) and I may need to rent out our North London basement flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We instructed a North London conveyancing firm in 2001 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time get any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your last North London conveyancing solicitor is no longer available you can review your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the premises. The rule is that if the lease is silent, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you must seek permission via your landlord or other appropriate person before subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. The consent should not be unreasonably turned down. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

I've found a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in North London. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in North London ?

The majority of houses in North London are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in North London in which case you should be shopping around for a North London conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor should advise you fully on all the issues.

I am looking at a two apartments in North London which have in the region of forty five years remaining on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

A lease is a right to use the property for a period of time. As the lease shortens the saleability of the lease decreases and it becomes more costly to extend the lease. This is why it is generally wise to extend the lease term. It is often difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this area

Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a North London conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a North London conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you speak with two or three firms including non North London conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be of use:

• How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?
• What volume of lease extensions has the firm completed in North London in the last 12 months?

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on our sale of a £ 200000 garden flat in North London in 8 days. The management company has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in North London?

North London conveyancing on leasehold flats often involves the purchaser’s conveyancer sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to address such questions most will be content to assist. They are at liberty charge a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it is above £800. The management information fee levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the charge is technically not due. Reality however dictates that you have little choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

My wife and I have hit a brick wall in trying to purchase the freehold in North London. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

Most certainly. We can put you in touch with a North London conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a North London property is 20 Avonwick Road in July 2013. The Tribunal was dealing with an application under Section 26 of the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 for a determination of the freehold value of the property. It was concluded that the price to be paid was Fifteen Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy (£15,970) divided as to £8,200 for Flat 20 and £7,770 for Flat 20A This case affected 1 flat. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 73.26 years.

I inherited a leasehold flat in North London, conveyancing formalities finalised 5 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Similar flats in North London with a long lease are worth £186,000. The ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 2090

With just 64 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £15,200 and £17,600 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.