I am the registered owner of a freehold house in St Athan but nevertheless invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?

It is rare for properties in St Athan and has limited impact for conveyancing in St Athan 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 hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.

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

Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in St Athan. My lender is Nationwide Building Society

Nationwide Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 17/10/2025, the requirements read as follows :

What is the difference between a licensed conveyancer and conveyancing solicitor in St Athan

Two types of professional can execute conveyancing in St Athan namely licenced conveyancers or solicitors. Both professionals provide the legal services that required to complete the disposal or acquisition of property. Both are duty bound to handle St Athan conveyancing on similar standards and guidelines so you may be sure that your conveyancing will be professionally conducted and that the requisite procedures will be accurately adhered to.

We previously instructed solicitors located in St Athan on the Aldermore solicitor panel. They have just billed me a separate sum for the legal aspects of the Aldermore mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Aldermore?

Provided it is contained in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your conveyancing practitioner is entitled to charge a fee for this. This fee is not dictated by Aldermore but by your St Athan property lawyer. Numerous firms on the Aldermore panel will quote an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.

I am purchasing a property in St Athan. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Yorkshire BS have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that your lender is Yorkshire BS your lawyer must comply with the conveyancing instructions outlined in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Yorkshire BS. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Yorkshire BS where a lease does not meet these specifications. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not restricted to St Athan.

I decided to have a survey carried out on a house in St Athan prior to retaining solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. My surveyor advised that some lenders tend not give a mortgage on such a property.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to telephone us we can check with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in St Athan. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

I was pointed in your direction by numerous selling agents in St Athan to locate a property lawyer using your seach tool. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to promote your site over and above alternative conveyancing organisations?

We refuse to offer any financial incentive for pointing buyers and sellers in our direction. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission because members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.