I am about to put a bid on a leasehold apartment in Rayners Lane. The selling agents assure me that it is standard for flats in Rayners Lane to have less than 75 years remaining. I am getting a mortgage with Chelsea Building Society. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has 72 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. Chelsea Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 14/2/2026 the requirements read as follows :
We are selling our home in Rayners Lane and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built land that was not decontaminated. A high street Rayners Lane lawyer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers instructed a factory type conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Rayners Lane. We have lived in Rayners Lane for many years we know that this is a non issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to seek clarification that the buyers are looking for.
It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm already. Are they able to advise? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same ailment)
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Rayners Lane?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Rayners Lane. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
I am looking for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Rayners Lane I like with open areas and station nearby, the downside is that it only has 51 years on the lease. There is not much else in Rayners Lane suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?
Should you need a mortgage that many years will likely be problematic. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.
I’m about to sell my garden flat in Rayners Lane. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, however I have recently received a half-yearly service charge invoice – what should I do?
The sensible thing to do is pay the maintenance contribution as usual because all rents and service charges will be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.
I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord to extend my lease without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such issues? Can you recommend a Rayners Lane conveyancing firm to represent me?
Where there is a missing freeholder or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the LVT to decide the sum to be paid.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Rayners Lane property is GFF 1 Holyrood Avenue in May 2014. The Tenant wished to acquire a new (extended) lease and applied to the Willesden County Court who granted a vesting order on 20* March2013. The Tribunal decied that the premium to be paid was £9,062 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 79 years.
There are plenty of houses in Rayners Lane on unadopted lanes. My partner and I are acquiring one such house. Are there any benefits to buying a property on a privately owned road?
Rayners Lane conveyancing solicitors will be well versed in conveyancing propertieson unadopted roads. The conveyancer should investigate title to identify any rights or liabilities. In many cases there is a management company (wholly owned by residents) that residents pay into to maintain the road. Where there is one, the road will likely be maintained and look nicer than council adopted.