I am the registered owner of a freehold house in Leven but still charged rent, why is this and what is this?
It is rare for properties in Leven and has limited impact for conveyancing in Leven 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 hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.
Previous rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 will be dispensed with completely.
Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Leven. My lender is Accord Mortgages
Accord Mortgages have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 22/7/2025, the requirements read as follows :
We are due to move property in October. Does my conveyancing solicitor liaise with the removal company on the day of completion. As an aside, can you suggest a removal company in Leven. Conveyancing lawyer was found before I stumbled across your site.
On the afternoon of completion you can collect the keys from your selling agent but this should only occur once the previous owners lawyers inform the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be collected. You will need to advise the removal men that they can start moving you in. As a matter of policy we do not suggest a particular removal organisation but can assist you in choosing a conveyancing in Leven or a firm that specialises in conveyancing in Leven.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Leeds Building Society. I assume I don't need a Leven solicitor on the Leeds Building Society panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Leeds Building Society mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Leeds Building Society mortgage from the register. Leeds Building Society, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Leeds Building Society has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Leeds Building Society has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I have a mortgage with Principality for my property in Leven. Conveyancing was finalised a year ago. Should I wish to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Principality?
Your original mortgage agreement with Principality will provide that you need their approval in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Principality’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Principality will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Principality directly. You need not do this via a Principality conveyancing panel firm.
I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Leven I like with open areas and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 52 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Leven for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?
If you need a home loan that many years will likely be an issue. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.
I wish to rent out my leasehold apartment in Leven. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?
Some leases for properties in Leven do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord cannot unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting consent.
I invested in buying a studio flat in Leven, conveyancing was carried out 3 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Leven with an extended lease are worth £216,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease expires on 21st October 2095
With just 70 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as legals.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.
There are plenty of houses in Leven on unadopted roads. We are purchasing such a property. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing a house on a privately owned road?
Leven conveyancing solicitors are used to conveyancing propertieson private. The property lawyer should investigate title to identify any rights or responsibilities. It is possible that there is a residents association that proprietors pay into for the upkeep of the road. If there is one, the road should be maintained and appear better than publicly adopted.