Conveyancing solicitors in Camden

Osbornes Law provides residential conveyancing services across Camden and North London. Our property solicitors handle buying, selling, leasehold, remortgage and lease extensions from our Camden office.

Buying or selling a home in Camden is rarely straightforward. The borough’s property stock is overwhelmingly leasehold — Victorian conversions, mansion blocks, modern purpose-built flats — and leasehold transactions carry legal complexities that a standard conveyancing process does not always catch. A short lease, an escalating ground rent, or an undisclosed Section 20 notice can turn a straightforward purchase into a serious problem.

Our conveyancing solicitors work from our Camden office on Pratt Street, NW1. We have dealt with the specific quirks of the local market for many years and know what to look for. We will check the title carefully, raise the right enquiries, and give you clear advice before you commit — not after.

We provide one point of contact throughout your transaction, update you at every key stage, and give you a fixed-fee quote at the outset. There are no hidden costs when you complete.

Residential conveyancing services in Camden

We handle all types of residential property transaction from our Camden office.

Buying and selling We act for buyers and sellers across the full range of residential transactions — freehold houses, leasehold flats, shared ownership properties and new build conveyancing. We carry out all necessary searches, review the title and contract, and manage the transaction through to exchange and completion. Whether you are buying a house in Camden for the first time or selling your property, the process is the same: careful, thorough legal work done to a clear timetable.

Leasehold properties A large proportion of Camden’s homes are leasehold. We review the lease term, service charge accounts, ground rent provisions and any outstanding major works, and advise you on anything that could affect the value of the property or your ability to sell or mortgage it in future. If the lease is below 80 years, we will flag this immediately — below this threshold, the cost of extension rises significantly.

Remortgage We act for both you and your new lender on a remortgage, deal with the legal paperwork, and ensure the new charge is properly registered at HM Land Registry.

Shared ownership Our shared ownership solicitors act for buyers purchasing under shared ownership schemes, including staircasing transactions where you buy additional shares. Shared ownership leases have specific provisions that require careful review before you proceed.

Buy-to-let We act for landlords buying investment property in Camden, including portfolio purchases and houses in multiple occupation. Find out more about our buy-to-let conveyancing service.

Transfer of equity If you are adding or removing someone from the title to your property — following a relationship breakdown, a gift, or a change in financial arrangements — we handle the legal transfer and obtain any required mortgage lender consent. Not sure whether you need this? Find out what a transfer of equity involves before you instruct us.

Leasehold conveyancing in Camden — what you need to know

The majority of flats in Camden are sold leasehold, and many have lease terms that require attention. When acting on a leasehold purchase, we will:

• Check the lease term — leases below 80 years are harder to mortgage and significantly more expensive to extend
• Review the service charge accounts for the past three years and raise enquiries about any planned major works or Section 20 notices
• Check the ground rent provisions — ground rents that double or escalate above RPI can make properties unmortgageable and difficult to sell
• Advise on any restrictions on subletting, keeping pets, or making alterations
• Confirm that adequate buildings insurance is in place

These checks matter whether you are buying with a mortgage or in cash. Problems identified at resale are far more expensive to fix than those caught during purchase.

If the lease on a Camden property you already own is running short, our solicitors can advise on extending it under the Leasehold Reform Act — use our leasehold extension calculator to get an early estimate of the cost. If you and your fellow leaseholders wish to buy the freehold collectively, we also handle leasehold enfranchisement for Camden buildings of all sizes.

If you are already in dispute about service charges or building management, our service charge disputes team can help separately.

Areas we cover

Our conveyancing team covers Camden and the surrounding boroughs. We regularly act for clients in:

• N1 — Islington, Angel, Hoxton and King’s Cross
• N6 — Highgate
• N7 — Holloway
• N19 — Archway and Upper Holloway
• NW1 — Camden Town, Regent’s Park and Marylebone
• NW2 — Cricklewood, Dollis Hill and Neasden
• NW3 — Hampstead, Swiss Cottage, Belsize Park and Primrose Hill
• NW5 — Kentish Town
• NW6 — Kilburn, West Hampstead and Queen’s Park
• NW8 — St John’s Wood

If your property falls outside these areas, get in touch. We act for clients on transactions across England and Wales and can handle conveyancing remotely where needed.

Our fees

We offer transparent fixed-fee quotes for residential conveyancing. Before you instruct us, you will receive a full breakdown of our fees and disbursements — the costs paid to third parties on your behalf, such as HM Land Registry fees, search fees and Stamp Duty Land Tax. There are no hidden costs. See our conveyancing fees page for more detail on what to expect.

The main disbursements to budget for on a purchase are:

• Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) — payable on purchases above £250,000, with different rates for first-time buyers and additional properties
• HM Land Registry registration fees — calculated on the purchase price
• Search fees — local authority, drainage and environmental searches are standard on most purchases in Camden

For a quote, call us on 020 7485 8811 or fill in the contact form below.

Why choose Osbornes Law for conveyancing in Camden?

We are a full-service law firm with offices in Camden and Hampstead. Our residential property team is led by Simon Nosworthy, a Partner with extensive experience across all aspects of conveyancing in London.

Because we practise property law across the full range — conveyancing, lease extensions, leasehold enfranchisement and property disputes — we can deal with any related issue that arises during your transaction without passing you to another firm.

Osbornes Law was named one of The Times Best Law Firms for 2026.

Speak to a conveyancing solicitor in Camden

To get a quote or to speak to a member of our residential property team, call 020 4502 7225 or fill in the contact form below. We will confirm our fees upfront so you know exactly where you stand.

Frequently asked questions

How long does conveyancing take in Camden? A straightforward freehold purchase typically takes 8–12 weeks from instruction to completion. Leasehold transactions often take longer — 10–14 weeks is more typical — because they involve additional enquiries to the freeholder or managing agent. If you are in a chain, the timeline depends on all parties being ready to exchange simultaneously.

How much does conveyancing cost in Camden? Our fees depend on the purchase price and type of transaction. We provide a fixed-fee quote before you instruct us, with a full breakdown of our charges and all disbursements. There are no hidden costs. See our conveyancing fees page or call 020 4502 7225 for a quote.

What is a disbursement? A disbursement is a cost paid to a third party on your behalf — for example, HM Land Registry registration fees, local authority search fees, and Stamp Duty Land Tax. These are separate from our legal fees and are itemised in your quote at the outset.

What searches are needed on a Camden property? Standard searches on a Camden purchase include a local authority search, a drainage and water search, and an environmental search. Your mortgage lender may require additional searches. We will advise you on what is needed for your specific property.

Should I be worried about the lease length on a Camden flat? Yes, if it is below 90 years. Leases below 80 years attract a “marriage value” which significantly increases the cost of extending. Most mortgage lenders will not lend on leases below 70–75 years. If you are buying a flat with a short lease, use our leasehold extension calculator to get an early cost estimate, and take advice before you commit.

What is leasehold enfranchisement? Leasehold enfranchisement is the process by which leaseholders in a building collectively buy the freehold from the landlord. It gives leaseholders control over service charges, building management and the ability to grant themselves new long leases. Our team handles collective enfranchisement for Camden buildings of all sizes.

Do I need a solicitor based in Camden? Not necessarily — conveyancing is handled largely by email, post and phone, and we act for clients across England and Wales remotely. That said, having a solicitor with a physical presence in Camden and first-hand knowledge of the local market is an advantage, particularly on leasehold transactions where local context can matter.

What is Stamp Duty Land Tax and how much will I pay? Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is a tax paid by buyers on property purchases in England. The rates depend on the purchase price, whether you are a first-time buyer, and whether you already own property. We will calculate the SDLT due as part of your quote and handle the SDLT return on your behalf on completion.