What is a leaseholder?
If you buy your flat or
maisonette from the Council, you will buy it on a long lease,
usually 125 years. The lease is your agreement with the
Council and sets out your rights and responsibilities as a
leaseholder. Another word sometimes used for leaseholder is
lessee.
The block or building you live in
is still owned by the Council and you will have to pay towards the
annual cost of managing, maintaining and improving the building,
its services, and communal areas. This payment is called the
service charge.
South Lakes Housing provide
anyone who is considering becoming a leaseholder with the following
guide:
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What does it mean to be a Freeholder?
If you would like further information on being a Freeholder,
please click on the link below:
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Landlord's Responsibility
Landlords responsibility can be briefly summarised as
follows:
| Structure |
foundations, roofs, timbers, floors, drains & gutters,
external pipes, external walls, window frames, external door
frames, external communal doors & frames, maintenance of
service
|
| Communal |
water tanks, pipes, wires, ducts, mechanical ventilation,
entry-phone system, rising mains
|
| Communal Areas |
common entrances & halls, paths, estate roads, stairways
& passageways, lighting
|
Please
note:
Although these repairs are
the landlord's responsibility, you will be invoiced for the
appropriate proportion of the costs of the works.
Leaseholders Responsibilities
- interior doors and door frames
- all plaster and other surfaces to all floors, walls and
ceilings in your home
- any installation serving the flat exclusively, such as service
pipes, cables and wires
- fittings (including kitchen units and built-in
cupboards)
- baths, toilets, sinks
- floorboards
- window panes
- all internal decorations
- external entrance doors
- estate & block repairs; more details below
- grounds maintenance; more details below
- decorating; more details below
- charges; more details below
NOTE: when you discover a repair that is
the responsibility of the Council you should report it as soon as
possible.
Estate & block repairs
All leaseholders are liable for a proportion of the cost of
repairing the estate grounds, paths and services. Typical
repairs are to estate drains. Where these repairs are
undertaken, the costs are divided amongst all properties on the
estate in equal proportions.
In the case of flats and maisonettes, the terms of the Lease
require the Council to undertake the works to the structure and
exterior of the building and to services used by more than one
tenant or leaseholder. This will include repairs to window
frames, roofs, balconies, soil pipes, guttering and communal
entrances. The cost of these repairs are added together and
divided between all the properties in the block.
Grounds maintenance
The maintenance of estate grounds such as landscaping or grassed
areas is carried out by contractors.
Every 5 years the maintenance contract is offered for tender and
the Council awards the contract to the most competitive bidder. The
cost you are charged reflects the price quoted to service your
estate.
Decorating
The Council will decorate the external window frames and other
outside woodwork and metal work to your home every five years, or
other period as specified in the Lease.
The other flats and maisonettes in your block will also be
decorated at the same time, as will the staircase and landings and
hall.
If window frames are beyond repair, the Council will replace
the frames and windows with double glazed windows. You will be
charged a proportion of the cost.
If you wish to carry out an improvement to the exterior of
your maisonette/flat, please inform the Council before doing
so.
Leaseholder Service Charges
Each year you will receive a invoice for the following:
- Ground rent
- Managment / Administration fee
- Repairs / Maintenance
Payment can be made in 10 monthly installments by
arrangement
For further information, please contact Pauline
Keeley on 01539 717287