Getting a term in a lease changed...

Leaseholder49

Has anyone got experience of getting a term in a lease changed (whilst owning the property)?

I want to get mine changed so I can access my loft which the freeholder is happy with in principle, but what do I do to get the process started?

Thanks for any advice.

scooter_chick

Hi,

I own an ex-LA flat, and I changed my lease a few years ago, the issue was to do with the windows. Once the freeholder (local council) had agreed to my proposal, I just hired a solicitor to write up a Deed of Variation, which then got signed by everybody. I also had to pay the council's legal fees. I think my sol dealt with the mortgage company as well, I'm pretty sure I didn't.

Leaseholder49

thanks, my freeholder is the council too.

so I need to get onto a solicitor I suppose!

scooter_chick

Might be worth clarifying what the council expect first. E.g. do you have to pay their legal fees? Agreement in principle is one thing, but you need to check the detail & make sure that there aren't any unexpected consequences of the change.

Where I live, the properties are in blocks of 4 maisonettes, with each leaseholder contributing 25% to all maintenance costs. I've heard that those who have varied their lease to include the lofts then have now got stung for more than 25% of the costs, as all the flats are now not of equal size.

Also, with my windows one, while I was luckily the only leaseholder in my block, the change I wanted meant that if there had been other leaseholders, their leases would have had to be changed too - with a whole load more legal fees to negotiate, once the other leaseholders had agreed.

Leaseholder49

Thanks for the heads-up. I don't think the specific things you mention would apply to me, and I would expect to be paying all the costs for doing it, including their legal fees, but I will double check any consequenses anyway.