I am in the process of selling my flat in Roath Park and the EA has just telephoned to say that the purchasers are appointing a new law firm. The excuse is that the lender will only engage with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a major mortgage company only work with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in Roath Park ?
Banks have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Santander, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for many years.
Lenders point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.
I have just over seventy years unexpired on my lease and require a lease extension for my flat in Roath Park. Conveyancing solicitors on the The Mortgage Works panel can deal with such extensions right?
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. The Mortgage Works have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 11/10/2026 the requirements read as follows :
Minimum unexpired lease term is 70 years with 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term.
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
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 70 years
- 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 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 70 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 1.0% 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
- 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
- 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 reviewed and altered on any review basis or methodology
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 1.0% 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.
What is the difference between a licensed conveyancer and conveyancing solicitor in Roath Park
There are many recorded licenced Conveyancers in Roath Park and Solicitor firms in Roath Park offering conveyancing We would stress that the two are regulated professionals specialising in the legal aspects of the home buying process. The two can handle associated property related work such as remortgage conveyancing, lease extensions and transfer of equity conveyancing.
I am planning to move house in January. Should my conveyancing solicitor update the removal company on the completion day. As an aside, can you suggest a removal company in Roath Park. Conveyancing firm was chosen prior to coming across your website.
On the day of completion you will need to pick up the house keys from your property agent however this should only occur after the previous owners lawyers advise the agent that they have the completion monies and the keys can be passed over. After that you can inform the removal men that they can start moving you in. We do not recommend a specific removal company but can assist you in choosing a conveyancing in Roath Park or a legal practice that specialises in conveyancing in Roath Park.
I can not fathom if my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have telephoned my Roath Park bank branch on numerous occasions and was advised it wasn't a problem and they would lend. My Roath Park conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- called to say that they would not lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?
The solicitor must follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook Part 2 provisions for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our home are lost. The lawyers who did the conveyancing in Roath Park 4 years ago have long since closed. What are my options?
Gone are the days when you need to have the physical deeds to establish that you are the registered proprietor of land or premises, given that the Land Registry have everything they need in a digital format.
Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Roath Park. Before I get started I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.
If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Roath Park - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.
I inherited a studio flat in Roath Park, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable properties in Roath Park with a long lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £65 per annum. The lease ends on 21st October 2087
With only 61 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £18,100 and £20,800 as well as legals.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.
Is it true that a Roath Park conveyancing firm has court proceedings brought against them by a client for failing to conduct the appropriate conveyancing investigations?
We are not aware of such a Roath Park conveyancing claim but it has been reported that, a couple purchasing a home elsewhere in England successfully sued their conveyancing practitioner as a consequence of development plans to construct a wind farm not being picked up in conveyancing searches.
If you are buying in Roath Park It is essential that your conveyancer conduct all Roath Park conveyancing searches necessary to ensure you have relevant and up to date information before purchasing a property.