Ground Rent Advice

Marky4040

eddddy said:

Marky4040 said:

So I'm hoping the landlord will confirm in writing they do not intend to increase the ground rent above 250 because it will make their leaseholds unsellable. 

Then I'm hoping i can indemnity against the clause as HSBC as stated. 

Confirmation in writing won't be good enough. You will need a Deed of Variation, which is an official document signed by the landlord and the leaseholder - probably prepared by the landlord's solicitor and approved by the leaseholder's solicitor.

Is this a fairly recently built property? If so who was the developer and who is the current landlord/freeholder?


Some developers have been blasted by the Competition and Markets Authority for selling properties with this kind of lease, so those developers have 'volunteered' to vary the leases, but I guess the process takes a while.

I believe that, so far, the list of developers are:

• Taylor Wimpey
• Countryside
• Persimmon

Plus a number of the companies that they sold freeholds to.
See: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/leasehold

Hi there, you are correct the landlord of the property I'm attempting to by has offered to enter into a voluntary deed of variation to alter the the period to 20 years not 10 for ground rent increase. However this is for the existing owner not me.

They did say they are willing to discuss with either my solicitor or the sellers solicitor direct WHY the ground rent is at £200 not £300, again as I'm not the home owner they wouldn't tell me why. 

Anyway my question is, would a lease holder have to pay £1000's for the "voluntary" deed of variation process. The agent who collects the ground rent for the land lord is Estates & Management ltd. The land lord is Back Pen ltd.