Leaseholders responsibilities and standards

Leaseholders handbook

Our service standards

We aim to:

1. Provide you with a detailed breakdown of your estimated annual service charge at least 4 weeks before the beginning of the financial year
2. Provide you with a detailed breakdown of your actual annual service charge within 6 months after the end of the financial year
3. If you fall into arrears with your actual service charge, give you an appropriate amount of time to clear the arrears in accordance with our sundry income and debt policy
4. Consult you on proposed major repairs and improvements (over £250) and give you the opportunity to nominate a contractor to provide a tender for the work at least 30 days before seeking tenders
5. Consult you on the estimated cost of major repairs and improvements before starting the work, and give you at least 30 days to provide any comments you may have, which we will take into account
6. Provide you, on request, with a copy of your current service charge account and other relevant information (perhaps if you wish to sell on the leasehold), for a fee, within 2 weeks of your request
7. Support a district-wide Tenant & Leaseholders Panel and ensure that it meets at least 3 times each year

Repairing and altering your home

We are responsible for the main structure of the building, the shared parts and any shared services to your building or estate. You are responsible for everything inside your property that is not structural.

You are responsible for:

• Decorating the inside of your property
• Plaster and finishes to walls, ceilings and floors inside your property
• Your own heating and hot water systems
• Window glazing repairs
• Doors inside the property
• The entrance door to your property
• Individual fences (this may be the case in certain circumstances)
• Penetrating damp caused by leakage or overflow from your flat

We are responsible for the following communal repairs. We pass the shared costs to leaseholders through the service charges.

We are responsible for:

• The structure and outside of the block including UPVC windows
• Shared areas and services such as staircases, lifts, shared TV aerials
• Boilers for shared heating and hot water
• Outside areas of the estate, estate walls and shared fences
• Shared water tanks, plumbing and electricity supplies
• Gutters, rainwater and soil pipes
• Penetrating damp caused by structural problems

Your Lease does not allow you to make any structural alterations to your home. The reason for this is that you could endanger the actual structure and therefore cause severe damage to other properties.

You must not alter the structure of the property, including fixtures and fittings serving the building or the estate in any way.

If you are unsure if any works you wish to undertake will be permitted, then you should contact the Council in this respect.  For further information please refer to the Leaseholders Handbook 2020.

This requirement is in addition to any planning permission or building regulation approval that you may need.

Major works

Major works are those carried out by us to a block or estate, often as part of a larger scheme or project that cost over a statutory prescribed amount.

Leaseholders will normally be required to contribute towards the costs of such works undertaken as set out in their lease.

Consultation has to take place for ‘Works’ that are not part of a long term (or partnering) agreement, if we are to recover more than £250 from any leaseholder in respect of those works.

Management fees & Fees and disbursements

Management Fees cover the preparation and audit of the annual accounts and the day to day management of the service.

Fees & Disbursements cover the cost of other sections involved in the leasehold service.

Administration costs

These are charges payable under your Lease which are not service charges, insurance or ground rent.