I want to rent out my leasehold flat in Teignmouth. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?

Even though your previous Teignmouth conveyancing solicitor is no longer around you can review your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the property. The accepted inference is that if the lease is non-specific, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you are obliged to seek permission via your landlord or other appropriate person in advance of subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet without prior permission. The consent is not allowed to be unreasonably turned down. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord for their consent.

I have recently realised that I have 68 years left on my lease in Teignmouth. I need to extend my lease but my freeholder is missing. What are my options?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to track down the lessor. For most situations a specialist should be helpful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document which can be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer in relation to investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Teignmouth.

Expecting to exchange soon on a studio apartment in Teignmouth. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they report fully within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

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

• The physical extent of the premises. This will be the flat itself but could also incorporate a roof space or basement if appropriate.
• You need to be told what constitutes 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
• I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames
• What options are open to you if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease?

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Teignmouth from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Teignmouth can be reduced if you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers solicitors.
• The majority landlords or Management Companies in Teignmouth charge for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Teignmouth.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Teignmouth state that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. Where you dont have the approvals to hand do not communicate with the landlord without checking with your solicitor in the first instance.
• Some Teignmouth leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the annual 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 lawyers.
• If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve 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 will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic rather than unresolved.

Completion in due on the sale of our £ 475000 maisonette in Teignmouth on Tuesday in a week. The landlords agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Teignmouth?

Teignmouth conveyancing on leasehold apartments often necessitates the buyer’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer these enquiries most will be content to do so. They are entitled levy a reasonable charge for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it is above £800. The management information fee required by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, without which the charge is technically not due. In reality one has no option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to sell the property.

I own a ground floor flat in Teignmouth, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Teignmouth with a long lease are worth £205,000. The ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2089

With just 63 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £18,100 and £20,800 plus legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.