I am told that my conveyancing solicitors will need to check that the building insurance when buying a house in Croydon. My lender is Virgin

Virgin have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 7/9/2025, the requirements read as follows :

Me and my brother purchased a semi-detached Edwardian property in Croydon. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Platform Home Loans Ltd. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Croydon and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing practitioner who conducted the conveyancing.

In what way can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my commercial property in Croydon and how can you help?

The particular law that you refer to gives protection to commercial leaseholders, granting the a statutory right to apply to court for a renewal tenancy and continue in occupation at the end of the lease term. There are certain specified grounds that a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are complex. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing firms who use the act to your advantage and assist with commercial conveyancing in Croydon

I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed apartment in Croydon. Conveyancing has not commenced, but I have just received a half-yearly service charge invoice – what should I do?

It best that you pay the maintenance contribution as normal because all rents and maintenance charges should be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

Having spent years of dialogue we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Croydon. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

in cases where there is a missing landlord or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to arrive at the sum to be paid.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Croydon residence is 29 Woodstock Road in April 2014. the Tribunal determined that the premiums to be paid into court in respect of the purchase of the freehold registered at HMLR under Title N0.SY3997 should be £7,217. This case related to 4 flats. The unexpired term was 98 years.

We have had DIP from Bank of Scotland who suggested that they will loan up to £117k. At what point do I need to instruct a solicitor for conveyancing? Croydon is where we are purchasing.

It would be wise to appoint a conveyancing practitioner now so that the lawyer can open the file so they can commence their ID checks etc. As and when you wish them to commence work you will be asked for a deposit usually approximately £225. That should generally be once you have the mortgage offer and valuation results, but should you want to expedite matters you can get going quicker albeit risking some expense.