When a new lease is granted, the work doesn't stop at signing. A solicitor must steer the transaction through completion, deal with the tax that falls due, and secure the tenant's legal estate by registering it correctly. Miss a search, a deadline or a registration step, and your client can be left holding only an equitable interest — vulnerable to anyone who later buys the reversion. Knowing this sequence cold is part of everyday conveyancing practice.
What this lesson covers:
- Completion of a Lease — what each party executes and retains, when a deed is required, and the consents needed where the landlord's title is mortgaged.
- Pre-Completion Searches — the priority and land charges searches that protect the tenant, the forms used, and the protection periods they confer.
- SDLT and LTT — who pays, how tax on premium and rent is calculated, filing deadlines, exemptions, and the certificate registration depends on.
- Registration Thresholds and Procedure — the three lease-term tiers and how each lease is protected or registered.
- Classes of Leasehold Title — absolute versus good leasehold title, and how to upgrade.
- Failure to Register and Equitable Leases — what goes wrong when registration is missed and how to protect an equitable lease.