Selling your property

If you are planning on selling the lease of your property, you or your solicitor will need information on service charges, buildings insurance, ground rent, planned major works, and other matters. This information will be provided to potential purchasers before contracts are exchanged.

If you own the freehold of your property, but it is on an estate and there is a covenant in the freehold transfer requiring you to pay service charges, you will need to make similar enquiries. These enquiries are known as pre-assignment enquiries.

How do I make a pre-assignment enquiry?

Your solicitor should make a request to our pre-assignment team. We will issue a standard response. Your solicitor will then request a pre-assignment pack.

The pack includes:

• Current balance on major works and service charge accounts
• Past and present service charge accounts
• Buildings insurance schedule and policy cover
• Section 20 consultation and planned maintenance works
• Requirements for assigning the lease

Your solicitor should then raise any additional enquiries needed for completion.

How much does it cost?

The following fees are correct for the year from 1 April 2012.

There is an administration charge of £164.00 for a pre-assignment pack, with a maximum response time of 10 working days. If you require an urgent ("expedited") response, we can prepare one within 2 days for a charge of £225.00.

Please contact our pre-assignment team on 0207 525 0573 or email hsg.homeownership@southwark.gov.uk for more details.

If you own the freehold of your ex-council property and are selling, the purchaser will need to enter into a Deed of Covenant with the council: there is an administration cost of £122.00 for preparation. Please contact our residential conveyancing team on 0207 525 1666 for more details.

Important note for vendors

If you have sold your leasehold property, you should note that the lease states that the purchaser should serve a notice of assignment on the council. The notice of assignment formally gives us details of the sale, so that the property records may be updated.

The purchaser will also need to serve a notice of charge if the mortgage lender requires its details to be noted on the council's records. The lease includes the fee payable for the registration of these notices; details are also provided in the pre-assignment information sent to your solicitor.

Should the purchaser fail to serve notice on the council, we will update our records providing the Land Registry has updated its register with details of the sale. The outstanding paperwork and fee will be taken up with the purchaser.