It is is a decade since I acquired my house in Old Oak Common. Conveyancing solicitors have now been appointed on the sale but I am unable to find my title documents. Will this jeopardise the sale?
You need not be too concerned. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be kept by the lender or they may be in the possession of the lawyers who acted in your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Old Oak Common involves registered property but in the rare situation where your property is not registered it is more of a problem but is resolvable.
I am about to put an offer on a leasehold property in Old Oak Common. The property agents say that it is usual for flats in Old Oak Common to have less than 75 years unexpired on the lease. I am obtaining a mortgage with Nationwide Building Society. Is this going to be a problem if the lease has 69 years left.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting 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 2/11/2026 the requirements read as follows :
- Our minimum unexpired lease term is 55 years, except where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat, in which case our minimum unexpired term is 90 years.
- 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 a proposed Lease Extension does not meet these requirements, however you feel that this is in the best interest for our mutual client, please refer all details to the Issuing Office for us to consider.
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.
A relative informed me that in buying a property in Old Oak Common there may be various restrictions prohibiting external alterations to the property. Is this right?
We are aware of anumerous of properties in Old Oak Common which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Old Oak Common should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
I am buying a victorian detached house in Old Oak Common. We would like to convert the garage to a playroom at the property.Will legal work on the property include investigations to determine if these alterations are allowed?
Your property lawyer will review the registered title as conveyancing in Old Oak Common will on occasion reveal restrictions in the title documents which restrict certain alterations or necessitated the consent of a 3rd party. Many additions need local authority planning consent and approval in accordance building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. It would be prudent to check these things with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.
Can I be sure that the Old Oak Common conveyancing solicitor on the Leeds Building Society panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Old Oak Common getting recommendations is a sensible start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always advocate that you speak with the lawyer handling your conveyancing.
I have todayfound out that Wolstenholmes have been shut down. They carried out my conveyancing in Old Oak Common for a purchase of a leasehold apartment 12 months ago. How can I establish that my home is in my name in the name of the former proprietor?
The easiest way to see if the premises 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 Old Oak Common conveyancing specialists.
We're novice buyers - had an offer accepted, yet the estate agent has warned us that the vendor will only issue a contract if we instruct the agent's preferred solicitors as they want a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a local solicitor accustomed to conveyancing in Old Oak Common
It is highly unlikely the vendors are behind this. Should the seller desire ‘a quick sale', alienating a serious purchaser is counter productive. Avoid the agents and go straight to the owners and explain that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances in place © you are unencumbered (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)but you will continue to use your preferred Old Oak Common conveyancing lawyers - as opposed tothose that will earn their estate agent a commission or hit his conveyancing thresholds set by senior management.
I own a leasehold flat in Old Oak Common. Conveyancing and Coventry Building Society mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing practitioner in Old Oak Common who previously acted has long since retired. Do I pay?
First make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Old Oak Common conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.
Having spent years of negotiations we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Old Oak Common. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?
Where there is a missing freeholder or where there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the LVT to calculate the amount due.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Old Oak Common flat is 49 Long Drive in March 2014. The tribunal concluded that the price payable for the freehold interest in the Property should be £26,491 divided as to £12,546 in respect of the ground floor flat and £13,945 in respect of the first floor flat This case affected 2 flats. The unexpired term was 68.47 years.