Sell or let your leasehold property

Leaseholders handbook

Selling your property

You may sell your home at any time. You may offer it to us to repurchase at the current market value, but we do not have to buy it.

If you want to sell within 10 years of your purchase you must offer to sell your lease back to us or a Registered Social Landlord nominated by us. We have up to 8 weeks to decide whether to buy your lease. If we decide not to do so, or do not give you a definite response within 8 weeks, you can sell the lease on the open market.

If you received a discount when you bought your property from us under Right to Buy, and you sell within 5 years, the discount, recalculated as a percentage of the purchase price is repayable.

In addition, the amount of discount to be repaid if you sell within 5 years will be a percentage of the resale value of the property, disregarding the value of any improvements.

If you wish to sell your property on the open market the Council must provide a pre-sale property information pack at a charge of £208.18. The pre-sale pack is an important part of a sale process – when payment of the charge is received the information can be released.

Letting your property

As of 1st April 2021 a registration fee will be required when applying to sublet your property. In line with the standard lease agreement Clause3.12 (Notice of Devolution) which requires leaseholders to give the Council,

If you are going to let your property you must get permission from us:

• If you have a mortgage you must get permission from your lender
• Insurance cover will be lost if you fail to advise the Home Ownership Team you are subletting your leasehold property
• You must tell your contents insurance company or cover will be lost
• You must inform us of any different correspondence address for you, or that of your property management company
• If you do rent your home to someone else it is your responsibility to make sure that your tenants comply with the lease, failure to do so may result in action against you
• You must also remember that even if you rent your home to someone else you are still legally responsible for the payment of all service charges, ground rent, buildings insurance and major work costs
• You will have to get an annual gas safety certificate and comply with all other terms of the lease
• The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. New government legislation states that landlords must ensure every fixed electrical installation is inspected and tested at least every five years by a qualified person. The Regulations also state that a landlord is required to obtain an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) of the results of the inspection and test, supply it to each tenant within 28 days and retain a copy until the next inspection is due. A copy must be provided to the local authority on request.

If you intend to sublet your leasehold property you must complete the Sublet Registration form. For more information email

• Email homeownershipteam@eppingforestdc.gov.uk

Once you have completed the form, you must return it to us using one of the methods detailed on the form, and then pay the fee. There is a fee applicable for the Councils costs in registering the sublet property.

The current standard fee in respect of any devolution of dealing is £105.84 (inclusive of VAT) however the actual cost to you will be as specified in line with the terms of your own individual lease agreement.

Please refer to the Home Ownership Team in this respect or check your lease agreement to obtain the relevant cost. Once full payment is received, we shall advise the insurance section on your behalf that you will be subletting your leasehold property.