I am about to put an offer on a leasehold apartment in Bermondsey. The selling agents say that it is usual for flats in Bermondsey to have less than 75 years left on the lease. I am expecting a loan with Virgin. Is this going to be acceptable if the lease has 72 years to go.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are obtaining a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Virgin have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 6/1/2026 the requirements read as follows :
I have been told that property searches are the main reason for stalling in Bermondsey house deals. Is this right?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the common causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are unlikely to feature in any holding up conveyancing in Bermondsey.
I used Wolstenholmes several years ago for my conveyancing in Bermondsey. I now require my file however cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?
You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Bermondsey of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
In what way does the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my business offices in Bermondsey and how can you help?
The particular law that you refer to provides protection to business tenants, granting the right to apply to court for a continuation of occupancy when the lease reaches an end. There are limited grounds that a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are involved. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Bermondsey is one of our numerous locations in which our lawyers are based
Last July I purchased a leasehold house in Bermondsey. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?
In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
I inherited a two-bedroom flat in Bermondsey. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the sum payable for a lease extension?
if there is a absentee freeholder or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to assess the price.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Bermondsey flat is 1-41 Royal Tower Lodge 40 Cartwright Street in April 2013. the tribunal adding the agreed value of capitalised ground rents and the reversion the price to be paid for the freehold was £1,187,000 This case affected 41 flats. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 107 years.