Hillingdon Lease Extensions

Living in Hillingdon:

Hillingdon sits on the western outskirts of London, but despite its distance from the metropolitan area, it has excellent transport links and is home to the renowned Heathrow Airport. According to Heathrow’s website, the airport served 19.4 million passengers in 2021. That’s an astonishing average of 128,178 travellers entering or exiting the borough per day!

Aside from this, Hillingdon boasts plenty of lush greenery, thriving commercial districts and a wide range of residential options. You will find Victorian and Edwardian homes, terraced houses and sleek commuter-friendly apartments, so there’s something for all preferences and lifestyles.

Many leasehold properties in Hillingdon may require a lease extension. Continue reading to find all relevant information about this procedure in your borough.

• Population: Between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, Hillingdon’s population increased by 11.7%, rising from 273,900 to 305,900. This is greater than the overall population of London (7.7%) and the whole of England (6.6%)!
• Average House Price: Properties in Hillingdon had an overall average sold price of £548,932 over the last year.
• Wards in Hillingdon: Barnhill, Botwell, Brunel, Cavendish, Charville, Eastcote and East Ruislip, Harefield, Heathrow Villages, Hillingdon East, Ickenham, Manor, Northwood, Northwood Hills, Pinkwell, South Ruislip, Townfield, Uxbridge North, Uxbridge South, West Drayton, West Ruislip, Yeading, Yiewsley.
• Local Authority: The local authority in Hillingdon is Hillingdon Council.

Lease Extension Regulations in Hillingdon

If you own a leasehold property in Hillingdon, you can extend your lease by an additional 90 years. This procedure can be carried out formally or informally.

However, we often advise clients who have owned their property for at least two years to opt for the statutory (formal) route because it offers legal protection under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993.

Hillingdon Council also appears to favour the statutory route. Their dedicated website page about ‘Extending Your Lease’ states that leaseholders must formally notify the council to start the procedure. The notice they’re referring to is the Section 42 notice.

The LEC will provide you with specialist surveyors and solicitors who will serve all necessary notices and negotiate your property’s cheapest premium with the fairest lease terms. See the results we’ve achieved for our previous clients amongst our record of case studies.

The Lease Extension Process

Scan this timeline for a step-by-step overview of the statutory lease extension process.

• 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 visit our ‘How Long Will My Lease Take?’ article for further 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 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 specific 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. This document will be sent to you for approval before it is forwarded to the solicitors who will serve the Section 42 notice to the Freeholder on your behalf.

To learn about freeholders in Hillingdon, see the information below.

Key Freeholders in Hillingdon:

A prominent freeholder in Hillingdon is the Hillingdon Council. According to the ‘Hillingdon Housing Strategy 2021/22 to 2025/26’ on their ‘Housing Strategies’ webpage, the council has 3,341 leaseholders and 98 shared owners. There is a high likelihood that Hillingdon Council will be your competent landlord.

Shared ownership opportunities are also available in the area from various housing providers. This includes organisations such as Homegroup, SO Resi and Peabody. In some cases, one of these providers will act as your competent landlord.

Be mindful that shared ownership leaseholders will only qualify for the statutory right to extend their lease if they have ‘staircased’ up to 100% ownership.

Finding Your Freeholder:

The details of your freeholder are documented in your original leasehold agreement. If you do not have a copy of your lease, you can request a duplicate from the HM Land Registry or as a client of The Lease Extension Company; we can arrange this on your behalf.

How Much Will Your Lease Extension Cost?

The cost of each procedure is different as expenses depend on the following factors:

• 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.

The cost can also depend on your route to acquire your lease extension.

• 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.

Use our Lease Extension Calculator tool to input your details and estimate your premium.

Learn About Our Fixed Fee Service

The Lease Extension Company is transforming the typical lease extension process by making it as simple and transparent as possible.

We will develop a detailed plan covering all stages, legal requirements and your expected costs, which we will combine into one straightforward fixed fee. By doing this, you know what to expect from the get-go.

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

Specialists in Hillingdon Lease Extensions.

Preserve your property’s current value and enhance its worth by extending your lease today. Contact The Lease Extension Company to get a quote or organise a free consultation.

Simply complete our online form, call us on 0800 098 2770 or email [email protected].