What is a TA7 Form?
Estimated reading time 7 minutes
Selling a home comes with plenty of paperwork – even more so if the property you sell is a leasehold. When you sell leasehold property, in addition to the TA6 and TA10 forms that are used for selling any type of property, you’ll also need the TA7.
The TA7 form, also known as the Leasehold Information Form, is an essential document that contains specific questions relating to the lease associated with the property. These questions will cover issues relating to service charges, details of the management company, any work you’ve done on your property and much more.
Without one, you won’t be able to sell your leasehold property. In this blog, we lay out all you need to know. This is the TA7 form explained in detail.
When do I complete the TA7 leasehold information form?
You’ll need to fill out the TA7 form once you receive it from your solicitor. It will normally be sent to you early in the sales process and should be returned to the solicitor during the first stage of conveyancing.
At the same time, the LPE1 form should be completed by the freeholder or management company of the building.
You’ll likely find some parts of the TA7 form cannot be completed when you receive it. This is because much of the information is held within the management information pack for the property. You can leave these sections blank, return the form to your solicitor, and they will complete the missing sections once received. Just be sure to inform them in advance of any parts of the form you cannot complete.
The TA7 form explained
When you start completing your TA7 form, you’ll notice that there are ten sections to complete. Each relates to a certain aspect of the property and should be completed honestly and with as much information as possible. As mentioned earlier, if you are unsure or do not have the information available, leave the section blank and allow your solicitor to complete it on your behalf.
The sections you should complete are:
1. Property details
Within this section, you’ll need to detail how much your ground rent is and what type of property the home is.
You’ll have the option to select a flat or house, but also whether the property is under shared ownership or not.
2. Management information pack
Think of section two as your checklist for important documents. This part of the TA7 form helps you ensure you have all the relevant documentation to sell a leasehold property. You’ll need to provide:
- The lease
- Copies of deeds
- Ground rent statements and demands
- Buildings insurance policy
- Any communications between the landlord/management company and you
- Information relating to additional regulations enforced by the landlord/managing agent
- A Memorandum and Articles of Association (only applies when tenants have formed a management company)
- A share or membership certificate (only applies when tenants have formed a management company)
- The last three years of accounts (only applies when tenants have formed a management company)
Collectively, these documents make up what is known as the Management Information Pack, and to obtain them, you’ll have to speak to the freeholder or management company. This will come at a cost, so be prepared to spend around £200 to get all this information.
3. Building management
The third section relates to the management setup of the property. Many properties are under a managing agent, but can also be looked after by a tenant-formed management company.
Simply indicate whether the landlord of the property uses a managing agent or a tenant-formed company.
4. Contact information
Section four simply asks you to provide the contact information for the landlord, managing agent or tenant-run management company. You’ll need to provide the name, address, phone number and email address.
5. Maintenance and service charges
With any leasehold property comes an assortment of charges. This section of the TA7 form requires you to detail any charges associated with the property, such as insurance, service charges (including whether there have been any challenges regarding them) and whether you contribute towards maintenance costs.
In some cases, maintenance costs are not covered by those living in the property, but where they are, you’ll need to disclose what costs, other than the typical annual costs, are incurred.
6. Notices
Notices can relate to many things associated with the property, such as development work or plans for the freeholder to sell. These should be documented on the TA7 form, along with any notices relating to the use of the building and its general condition.
7. Consents
These relate to consents granted by a landlord or management company for property owners to make changes to the building that would otherwise not be allowed. If you have built an extension, knocked through a wall or carried out substantial decorating, you’ll likely have needed to obtain consent. Proving this consent with written evidence must make up part of your TA7.
If you cannot find any written proof, speak to the freeholder or management company to source copies.
8. Complaints
Section 8 of the Leasehold Information Form is for complaints. These complaints could be from you to the landlord, managing agent or tenant management company and vice versa. You’ll need to include details relating to all issues, regardless of who issued them and what, if any, resolution was made.
9. Alterations
In section nine of the TA7, you’ll need to document any alterations made to the property and show that permission was granted for them to go ahead. This will include planning documents, building regulation approvals and proof of authorisation from the landlord.
10. Enfranchisement
The final section of the TA7 Leasehold Information Form relates to enfranchisement. This is where leaseholders are given the right to buy the freehold. On the TA7 form, you’ll need to disclose whether any enfranchisement proceedings are currently underway and how they could affect the property.
You’ll need to show how long you have lived in the property and whether any other leaseholders have tried to purchase the freehold of the building. If you or they have, you should also include any replies from the landlord regarding the potential sale of the freehold.
You won’t be eligible for enfranchisement if you have lived at the property for under two years.
Can I sell my leasehold property without a TA7 form?
No – the TA7 is vital for the sales process. The information it holds will give buyers a true idea of the property, the lease and any issues that may come with it. Ignoring the TA7 Lease Information Form will result in you failing to sell your home.
Some are reluctant to divulge information out of fear that it could slow down a sale or reduce the possibilities of completing a sale. This is where Bettermove comes in.
We present two routes to sale that guarantee your home doesn’t sit on the market with zero interest. We either buy your home ourselves, allowing you to sell a house fast (in just seven days if you wish), or we present it to a network of exclusive cash house buyers.
Either way, we promise your house will sell, and what’s more, we do it without charging you. Our method allows us to sell your house for free, with no fear of costly solicitors or surprise commissions.
