I am about to put a bid on a leasehold flat in Manor House. The selling agents assure me that it is standard for flats in Manor House to have less than 75 years unexpired on the lease. I am taking out a mortgage with Nationwide Building Society. Is this going to be a problem if the lease has 70 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 16/9/2025 the requirements read as follows :
- There must be at least 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term (regardless of the length of lease at the start).
Where the unexpired lease term is different to that recorded on the mortgage offer, the following clarifies if we need to be informed:
Second hand property:
- If the unexpired lease term on the offer is 85 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 85 years
- if the unexpired lease term on the offer is less than 85 years – advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported
- For equity share applications - advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer
- Where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat and the unexpired lease term on the offer is 90 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 90 years.
New build property:
- If the unexpired lease term stated on the offer is 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house) or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house)
- For equity share applications - always advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer
Lease terms such as ground rent and event fees must be reasonable at all times during the term of the lease and adhere to our requirements below. If you’re unsure as to whether the terms of a lease are unreasonable or onerous, please refer the details to us in plain English for Valuer consideration. If the potentially onerous terms are in relation to the ground rent please include the current ground rent figure per annum, how often it will be reviewed and the price structure it will be reviewed against. See the guidance below.
SECOND HAND PROPERTIES
Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (Will be declined):
- Unexpired lease term less than 55 years
- Unexpired lease term less than 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat
- Less than 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term
- Ground Rent greater than 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent doubles less than every 20 years (e.g. doubles every 5, 10 or 15 years) - acceptable if doubles every 20 years or more
- Ground Rent is compounded RPI
- Ground Rent review period is less than or equal to 5 years
Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Unexpired lease term is 55 to 85 years
- Ground Rent greater than 0.1% and less than or equal to 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to any indices greater than RPI
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building*
- Ground Rent review period is greater than 5 and less than 10 years
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial, etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything that appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary
Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than 85 years (Minimum 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat)
- Ground Rent less than or equal to 0.1% of the property value
- Ground Rent review period greater than or equal to 10 years
- Ground Rent escalation less than or equal to RPI
NEW BUILD PROPERTIES (includes office conversions)
Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (Will be declined)
- Unexpired lease term less than 125 years on a new build flat or less than 250 years on a new build house (does not apply to Shared Ownership)
- Any lease which is subject to a Ground Rent (or Annual Rent) being charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis
- Any lease which is subject to a Ground Rent (or Annual Rent) being charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis
Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything else appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary
Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than or equal to 125 years on a new build flat or greater than or equal to 250 years on a new build house
- A lease subject to a peppercorn Ground Rent (Annual Rent) charges
For the avoidance of doubt, any New Build properties completed but not sold pre-30 June 2022 will only be acceptable if the Lease conforms to the above guidance.
* Where the Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building, please provide the following:
- How is the value of the block/unit currently calculated and if the assessment relates to the block(s), how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned per property?
- The current valuation and Ground Rent for each unit
- What is the mechanism for future valuations of the block and how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned?
- What is the right of appeal? And is this a documented process within the lease?
- Who bears the cost of the valuation (and appeal) process?
- Confirmation the review period is not less than twenty years.
Lease Extensions
We require all Lease Extensions to be completed under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 and to meet the above criteria as a minimum. Where you become aware that it does not meet these requirements, please refer to Issuing Office.
Please ensure that all lender enquiries are submitted (with full documentation/requirements) at least 2 weeks prior to exchange to allow sufficient time for review and decisioning.
My father pointed out to me me that in buying a property in Manor House there could be a number of restrictions preventing external changes to the property. Is this right?
We are aware of a number of properties in Manor House which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Manor House should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
We are due to move property in November. Should my conveyancing solicitor liaise with the removal company on the completion day. Incidentally, can you recommend a removal company in Manor House. Conveyancing firm was found before I stumbled across this website.
On the day of completion you can collect the keys from your estate agent but this can only occur once the previous owners lawyers advise the agent that they have the completion monies and the keys can be handed over. You can inform the removal company that you are ready to move in. We are not in a position to suggest a specific removal company but can help you locate a residential property solicitor in Manor House or a legal practice that specialises in conveyancing in Manor House.
Can you point me to a directory of Coventry BS panel solicitors in Manor House on the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Website?
Unfortunately not yet. There is no such directory service on the CML or Building Society Association sites. A small selection of lending institutions make their panel listings open the public online. Where you are looking for a Manor House conveyancer on the Coventry BS please make the most of our facility.
I note that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Do I need chancel insurance when acquiring a house in Manor House? or Apparently there is an ancient law that could mean that house owners living in a parish church boundary will be compelled to contribute towards maintenance to the chancel in proximity to the church. Is this a legitimate concern for conveyancing in Manor House?
Unless a previous purchase of the property completed after 12 October 2013 you could take it that conveyancing practitioners handling conveyancing in Manor House to remain recommending a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
I used Wolstenholmes several years past for my conveyancing in Manor House. I now require my file but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?
You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Manor House of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I am using a search engine for the term conveyancing in Manor House it brings up many solicitorsin the vicinity. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right conveyancing solicitor for purchase transaction?
The preferential method of choosing the right conveyancer is via personal testimonial, so enquire of friends and those you trust who have acquired a property in Manor House or a reputable estate agent or mortgage broker. Costs for conveyancing in Manor House differ, so it's sensible to secure a minimum of three estimates from different companies. Be sure to seek confirmation that the charges are assured not to rise.
My husband and I are planning to purchase a 2 room ground floor flatin Manor House with a home loan from a mortgage company. We wish to instruct our solicitor in Manor House yet our bank advise he's not listed on their "panel". It seems we have little choice but to instruct from the our bank panel firms or keep our Manor House solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; Can we not simply insist that our lender use our Manor House lawyer?
No, not really. The mortgage company home loan issued is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that solicitors will on the bank's conveyancing panel. Until recently, most banks had open panels, including many conveyancing solicitors in Manor House : a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for your bank.