I am the registered owner of a freehold property in Bedfordshire but nevertheless pay rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in Bedfordshire and has limited impact for conveyancing in Bedfordshire but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.
Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges have existed for many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the establishment of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.
Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.
I am about to put an offer on a leasehold property in Bedfordshire. The estate agents assure me that it is the norm for flats in Bedfordshire to have less than 75 years unexpired on the lease. I am obtaining a loan with Nationwide Building Society. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has Seventy One years unexpired.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are securing a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Nationwide Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 19/9/2026 the requirements read as follows :
Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that could affect a commercial land in Bedfordshire?
Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Bedfordshire will execute a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers invest in looking into accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Bedfordshire. The search result sets out definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Bedfordshire.
For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Bedfordshire it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can cause delays to Bedfordshire commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not ordered for residential conveyancing in Bedfordshire.
I have todayfound out that Action Conveyancing have been shut down. They conducted my conveyancing in Bedfordshire for a purchase of a freehold house 10 months ago. How can I be sure that my home is not still registered in the name of the previous owner?
The quickest method to see if the property is in your name, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Bedfordshire conveyancing specialists.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £305k and identified one near me in Bedfordshire I like with open areas and transport links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 51 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Bedfordshire suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?
If you require a mortgage that many years will likely be problematic. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.
I am employed by a busy estate agency in Bedfordshire where we have experienced a few leasehold sales jeopardised as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given contradictory information from local Bedfordshire conveyancing solicitors. Please can you shed some light as to whether the vendor of a flat can instigate the lease extension process for the buyer?
Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.
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 purchaser.
I invested in buying a basement flat in Bedfordshire, conveyancing was carried out in 2008. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent properties in Bedfordshire with over 90 years remaining are worth £206,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2092
You have 66 years left to run the likely cost is going to range between £11,400 and £13,200 as well as costs.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.