Leaseholder information

We have worked with leaseholders, to produce this useful guide for existing leaseholders and those who are thinking of buying under the Right to Buy scheme.

It provides you with useful advice about issue that may affect you and the standard of service you can expect from us.

We recognise that you are an important and growing part of our service. As such, we have a dedicated leasehold team to provide you with an excellent service.

You have a stake in the home you live in, but the freehold of the block belongs to us. We manage the services provided to your home and the common areas.

When you bought your home you signed a contract called a lease. The lease explains your rights and responsibilities and those of us as your landlord.

This handbook tells you about your lease and your rights and obligations. It also tells you what our rights and responsibilities are. The handbook gives you a summary of the broad terms of your lease but it is not a legal document; so do not rely on it in any disputes about your lease. 

If there’s anything about your lease you do not understand or are worried about, you can ask us, seek independent advice from a solicitor, law centre or Citizens Advice Bureau. 

Rights and responsibilities of you and the Council

This section gives a summary of your rights and obligations as a leaseholder and those that we as your landlord must follow. The lease is a legal contract between you, and us that is legally binding.

Our responsibilities

We have a duty to:

• Keep the structure, exterior and common parts of the building, including drains, gutters and external pipes in repair
• Keep the building insured to the full cost of reinstatement
• Manage your block or estate in a proper and reasonable manner
• Tell you about any other service charges that come up during the year
• Provide an annual statement of charges showing actual costs for services to your block over the previous year, and how much you need to pay
• Consult you before doing major work to the building.

We also have the right to:

• Enter your home to repair, make improvements, or to inspect anything that affects the shared parts of the building, but must give reasonable notice, unless it’s an emergency

We hope that this will not be necessary and you give us reasonable access to do any repairs needed to the building.

Although it is our responsibility to maintain your property, you will have to pay for the services provided. You do this through your service charge.

Your responsibilities

You have a duty to:

• Pay the service charge’s for your property and the cost of major work
• Request written permission before making structural alterations or additions, including new windows, without our written permission
• Tell us if you transfer your lease, change your mortgage, or sub-let your home
• Keep your flat in good repair
• Observe all the terms and regulations set out in your lease.
• Send a copy of any notice affecting the property to us
• Use the premises only as a private flat.
• Make sure that any members of your household or visitors to your home do not do anything that may be a nuisance to residents or cause damage to any part of the building.

You also have the right to:

• Information on the service charges and the money spent on your building.
• Be consulted on expensive work, and long-term contracts that affect the building
• Quiet enjoyment of your home. This means that you can live in your home without us or any one else bothering you, so long as you comply with the lease
• Sell your lease to anyone you want to. You can also leave it to someone in your will.
• Stay in your home, as long as you keep to the terms of the lease. Only a court can allow your home to be taken from you. This could happen if, for example, you failed to pay your service charge or mortgage, or you knowingly made false statements when you applied for the lease.