Short answer：“Payable by the previous owner” is not enough to resolve arrears. Check the DMC, bills, contractual apportionment and completion arrangements with legal advice on the buyer’s exposure.
Obtain settlement information early
Request appropriate payment and arrears records, checking periods, surcharges and approved repair levies. Management allocation generally follows the DMC rather than an assumption that the sale date resolves everything.
Document settlement and apportionment
Have the solicitor address amounts, retentions or other contractual arrangements and retain evidence. If a problem emerges after completion, establish the documents and recovery route before withholding unrelated current charges.
Before deciding
- Check approved but unpaid works
- Retain the completion statement
- Confirm the periods covered by enquiries
Sources and method
Sources support the specific rules described. Checklists and hypothetical calculations are editorial explanations, not measured market results or individual approvals.
Revision：Removed unsupported experience, case outcomes and statistics; corrected the topic-specific rules and limitations described above.
Scope：General information only, not personalised legal, tax, immigration, admissions or investment advice.