Buying or selling property in London is rarely simple. A large share of the capital's homes are leasehold flats, which means lease length, ground rent, service charges and the freeholder's consents all have to be checked before you exchange, and a short lease can affect both the price and your mortgage. Add stamp duty land tax, chains of several transactions, new-build purchases and shared ownership, and a good conveyancing solicitor becomes one of the most important people in the deal.
A London property solicitor handles the conveyancing from offer to completion: searches, enquiries, the contract, the mortgage lender's requirements, exchange, completion and registration at HM Land Registry. The same firms usually deal with lease extensions and collective enfranchisement, where flat owners buy their freehold, as well as remortgages and transfers of equity.
Property solicitors also act for landlords and tenants, drafting tenancy agreements, handling deposit and possession disputes and advising on the rules that govern renting in England. On the commercial side they negotiate leases for shops, offices and restaurants, deal with planning and development agreements, and handle disputes between neighbours over boundaries, rights of way and party walls.
Conveyancing fees are usually fixed, so ask for a written quote that separates the solicitor's fee from search fees, Land Registry fees and stamp duty. Ask how the firm communicates, too: online case tracking and a named conveyancer can make a long London chain far less stressful.
The solicitors below offer property services within 20 miles of central London, with verified featured firms first and the rest ordered by distance. See our guides to conveyancing, the legal fees for buying a house and selling a house, landlord and tenant law and neighbour disputes, or read about property solicitors in general.
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