I am the registered owner of a freehold house in Diss but nevertheless charged rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in Diss and has limited impact for conveyancing in Diss 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 date back many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of fresh rentcharges post 1977.

Previous rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 will be extinguished.

Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Diss. My lender is Platform

Platform have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 12/11/2025, the requirements read as follows :

My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Diss. Conveyancing is required. What happens now?

Now that you are for all intents and purposes signed on the dotted line you will need to find a conveyancing solicitor soon as you now have a fast approaching a drop dead date to complete the purchase. An auction property should have a corresponding legal set of papers. This will likely include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. Where you are dealing with leasehold premises the legal pack should provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing paperwork relating to a leasehold property. You must give this to the lawyer working for you ASAP. You also need to ensure that your finances are organised to complete on the date specified in the contract.

I currently have a mortgage with HSBC for my property in Diss. Conveyancing was finalised a year ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform HSBC?

HSBC must be informed of your intention before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of HSBC’s mortgage conditions. It may be that HSBC 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 HSBC directly. You need not do this via a HSBC conveyancing panel lawyer.

Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Diss. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I would like to complain about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?

Most banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are resolved effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.

I am buying my first flat in Diss with a loan from Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. The sellers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The estate agent told me not reveal to my solicitor about this deal as it could put at risk my mortgage with the lender. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

In surfing the world wide web for the words on line conveyancing in Diss it brings up many property lawyersin the vicinity. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right property lawyer for the sale of my house?

The ideal way of finding the right conveyancer is through a personal referral, so ask colleagues and family who have bought a property in Diss or a reputable estate agent or financial adviser. Charges for conveyancing in Diss vary, so it's sensible to request at least three costs illustrations from different law firms. Dont forget to clarify that the fees are fixed.