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ABSOLUTELYProperty
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ABSOLUTELYProperty
Ask the Experts
Our panel of professionals give you
the edge in the property market
SPOTLIGHT ON: E3
Average asking price - £353,170 | Average asking rents - £1,682 pcm | Average property value - £343,450
Data provided by property website
Zulieka Davis
Sales Manager at Atkinson Mcleod, Hackney
� 020 8510 4421; atkinsonmcleod.com
Poppy Maynerd
Lettings Manager (MARLA registered), BlakeStanley
� 020 7254 7554; blakestanley.co.uk
From Colman Coyle gives her expert
advice on all your legal property questions
HEMA
ANAND
� 020 7354 3000 / colmancoyle.com
ASK THE EXPERTS
 www.colmancoyle.com
80 Upper Street, Islington, N1 0NU
Contact property partner Hema Anand
with no obligation on (0)20 7354 3000
or email hema.anand@colmancoyle.com
Q. I have a missing Landlord and want
to extend the lease of my flat. What
should I do?
A. You do not say on what basis the
Landlord is said to be missing or
cannot be found. Assuming you meet
the qualifying criterion set out in the
Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban
Development Act 1993, you may be able
to extend your lease.
You will need to show that you have
made reasonable efforts to locate the
Landlord, which may include placing
adverts in newspapers in the vicinity of
the last known address of the Landlord
and your flat, making enquiries of the
Land Registry or Companies House, as
the case may be, possibly employing
a search agent and so forth. I am
assuming that the Landlord is alive.
On the basis therefore that you have
established that the Landlord cannot
be found or is missing, an application
is made to the County Court to assess
whether or not you are entitled to a
lease term extension and must be
satisfied that reasonable efforts have
been made to locate the Landlord. If so,
the County Court will refer the matter
to the First Tier Tribunal (Property
Chamber) who shall essentially be
responsible for deciding how much
should be paid for the lease term
extension. The matter is then referred
back to the County Court who shall
execute the paperwork and accept the
payment on behalf of the Landlord.
Q. How to attract the best tenants?
A. Our motto at BlakeStanley isif you have a nice property and a nice
landlord you will attract a nice tenant. The type of tenants we are getting currently
are usually professionals who are in good jobs and want a nice home. Their
standards are high, so to attract these tenants your property needs to be finished
to a good quality and maintained that way. Tenants are generally looking for a
modern, clean kitchen and bathroom, nice wood flooring or a new carpet, and
freshly painted walls.
I always advise that the landlord and tenant meet before the tenancy starts, this is
to establish a good basis for the relationship, both parties will then see that each
other are just good normal people (not like the bad stereotypes of rogue landlords
and messy tenants) and feel more secure about the tenancy and have respect for
each other. If you don’t look after your property, it’s likely your tenant won’t either,
so take care and look after your investment.
Q. What common mistakes do sellers make?
A. The most common mistake that vendors make is assuming that all
agents are the same; vendors are then inclined to select an agent based on fee
and valuation.
Of course, most agents share a lot in common, high street presence, websites
and branded cars to name a few aspects. However, it’s not just about the sale;
it’s the exchange that makes a difference. That is where local knowledge and
expertise plays a crucial role in the transaction.
Anybody can get you an offer on your property, but it’s the progression
through to a successful exchange and completion that’s important. Atkinson
McLeod is not a faceless corporate agent, and we believe that a sale is an
exchange of enthusiasm.
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