Harrow Lease Extensions

Living in Harrow:

The quiet, outer London borough of Harrow is known for excellent education facilities, historical architecture and being the second safest borough in the city.

With this prestige, it’s no wonder it has a reputation for being one of the most family-orientated areas in the city.

In Harrow, medium-sized semi-detached properties accounted for most of last year’s housing sales, selling for an average price of £682,301. Flats sold for an average of £368,242, and terraced properties fetched £571,211 (Rightmove).

For a professional, transparent and swift lease extension in Harrow, choose The Lease Extension Company.

• Population: There are 261,300 residents in Harrow (2021), an increase of 9.3% from around 239,100 in 2011. According to official census data, this is higher than the overall population increase in England (6.6%).
• Districts in Harrow: Belmont, Canons, Greenhill, Harrow on the Hill, Harrow Weald, Hatch End, Headstone North, Headstone South, Kenton East, Kenton West, Marlborough, Pinner, Pinner South, Queensbury, Rayners Lane, Roxbourne, Roxeth, Stanmore Park, Wealdstone, West Harrow.
• Local Authority: The local authority for the London Borough of Harrow is Harrow Council.

Lease Extension Regulations in Harrow

Leaseholders in Harrow have a statutory right to extend their lease by an additional 90 years – you can generally accomplish this formally or informally.

Harrow Council follows the statutory (legal) route detailed in the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 and does not offer voluntary lease extensions. This information is available in the councils’ ‘Your guide to lease extensions’ document and their ‘Extending a lease’ webpage.

For a smooth and successful statutory lease extension, seek independent legal advice. The Lease Extension Company has executed many formal lease extensions in and around London, evidenced by our record of case studies.

We can provide a professional surveyor and experienced legal guidance to ensure you pay the fairest premium possible.

The Lease Extension Process

See below for a summary of the statutory lease extension procedure.

• Eligibility Check
• Valuation
• Serving the Section 42 Notice
• Receipt of the Section 45 Counter Offer
• Negotiation
• Agreement of Terms
• Registration of your new lease

Please see our detailed ‘How Long Will My Lease Take?’ article for more details.

Serving the Section 42 Tenant’s Notice

Before your Section 42 notice is drafted one of our firms of specialist chartered surveyors will undertake the valuation of your property for the purpose of the lease extension and identify the likely ‘premium’ (the price of your lease extension) you will pay your freeholder.

Identifying Your Competent Landlord

Our specialist solicitors will also identify the ‘competent landlord’ whose interest in the property is long enough to grant your 90-year lease extension.

Sometimes, this will be the direct landlord or housing management to whom you pay your service charge or ground rent. However, the competent landlord is often the freeholder of the building.

The Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 requires leaseholders to serve a Tenant’s Notice (Section 42 notice) on the ‘competent landlord’. The Section 42 notice commences the lease extension and must include certain key legal information. This is a technical legal notice, and it must be correctly drafted and validated to ensure your lease extension is deemed valid.

At The Lease Extension Company, we work with specialist legal firms in this niche area of law, ensuring that your notice is drafted and reviewed by leading experts in this field. The Section 42 notice will be sent to you for approval before it is forwarded to the solicitors who will serve the notice to the Freeholder on your behalf.

See below to learn more about freeholders in the Harrow borough.

Key Freeholders in Harrow

The main freeholder in Harrow is Harrow London Borough Council.

Several new purpose-built housing developments are also taking place in Harrow, managed by organisations such as Origin Housing and Latimer Homes. In some cases, they may act as your competent landlord.

Other freeholders you have the option of contacting are The Alan Mattey Group and Freshwater.

Finding your Freeholder

The name and address of your freeholder are detailed in your lease. If you do not have a copy of your lease, you can request one from the Council’s Leasehold Service team for an administration fee.

Alternatively, you can request a copy from the HM Land Registry for a small fee. As a LEC client, we can assist you with this at the start of the process.

How Much Will Your Lease Extension Cost?

Before starting a lease extension, it’s helpful to weigh up all of your potential costs.

Lease extension premiums are based on the following:

• The value of your property.
• The amount of ground rent you pay and how much it increases over time.
• The number of years remaining on your lease.

Costs depend on the route you take to obtain your lease extension. For example:

• Informal Lease Extensions: Costs are determined and agreed upon directly with your freeholder.
• Statutory Lease Extensions: You are responsible for the valuation and legal costs of both you and your freeholder, plus the premium for the additional years on your lease.

If you’re curious about your expenses, use our Lease Extension Calculator to estimate your premium.

About Our Simple Fixed Fee Service

At The Lease Extension Company, we take a simple, straightforward approach to this problematic area of property law.

We will develop a detailed plan covering all stages, legal requirements and your expected costs which we will combine into a simple fixed fee.

You’ll also receive the professional guidance of an experienced surveyor and solicitor to ensure you’re not paying a penny more for your lease extension (premium) than necessary.

Initiate Your Lease Extension Today.

To start your lease extension in Harrow, please contact The Lease Extension Company to discuss your situation.

Get a quote or arrange a free consultation with our experts by filling out our handy online form, calling us on 0800 098 2770 or emailing [email protected].