Selling a leasehold flat
Leasehold flats are a common property type in Southport. When selling a leasehold flat, your buyer’s solicitor will not only ask you questions about the flat but will send your landlord or the flat’s management company, a standard leasehold property enquiry form, known as an LPE1, to complete.
Most landlords are organised and have a standard management pack with details of any planned maintenance and building insurance costs as well as details of ground rent and service charges ready to go. Yet problems can arise when a landlord is slow to respond or simply ignores the buyer’s solicitors request for information.
Delays in receiving the Leasehold Property Enquires
According to the Homeowners Alliance delays are common with many buyers waiting an average of a 54 day before receiving the management pack.
Unfortunately there is no law forcing the landlord to answer these enquires however there is a government-backed code. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Service Charge Residential Management Code suggests landlords should provide the information “within a reasonable timescale, bearing in mind the transaction taking place and the potential effects of any delays”. It also states that fees for providing the information should be reasonable and reflect the level of work carried out.
Making a complaint
If your landlord or management company is a member of RICS you can make a complaint citing a breach of this code. If they are not members there is little you can do to force them to respond.
In this instance you should try to answer as many questions as possible yourself and hope that the buyers and their solicitor are happy to accept this information from you.