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The Leasehold transfer
A lease is a document that forms a legal contract between you as the leaseholder and the Council. The lease makes you the owner of your flat for up to 125 years. The Council will still be the owners of the structure of your flat, and of the building as a whole. One of our Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) in the city will manage the building on our behalf.
Leaseholder's commitments in the lease
You have agreed to pay your share of the reasonable costs of services. Please note that not all these services affect all leaseholders and that other services not listed may also be charged.
- Repairs - including structural repairs to the block, and any internal and extenral communal areas.
- Planned maintenance and improvements
- Cleaning
- Electricity and lighting to communal areas
- Lift maintenance
- Managing the block and communal areas
- Caretaking
- Insurance
Repairs, maintenance and improvements can be very expensive. During the Right to Buy process we will send you an estimate of what we believe these will cost in the first five years of the lease. You will not be asked to pay anymore than this estimate plus an element for inflation within the first five years of the lease. However, once the first five years has elapsed, all costs can be recharged.
Leaseholder’s Responsibility
You will be responsible for keeping the inside of your flat in good repair. This includes decorative repair. A full definition of your repairing obligation is included in your lease. It is not possible to list all such potential responsibilities but these usually include:
- All repair to the inside of your flat, including your front door and glass in your windows and internal non-structural walls
- Repairs to all fixture and fittings inside your flat, except any communal heating systems
- Repairing any damage to the building, services, grounds etc caused by you, by members of your household, or by your visitors or agents
- Chimney sweeping
- Keeping your flat clean and tidy
- Keeping the communal areas clean and tidy (except where it is the landlord’s responsibility)
- Decorating the inside of your flat
- Maintenance of private garden (if any) in a neat and tidy condition.
If you need a repair, which affects other flats in the block, we may arrange for this to be done. This could include pipes, drains, and so on. If this happens we will recharge you a share of the costs.
You will also agree to use your flat only as a private flat, and not to cause a nuisance. You must not to keep a dog, cat or bird without permission from your local ALMO.
The Council’s Responsibility
The Council, as the freeholder, also has a number of rights and responsibilities. Many of these relate to the management, maintenance, repair, improvement and insurance of the block and grounds in which your flat is situated.
The Council is responsible for keeping the structure and shared areas of the block in reasonable repair. The Council is also responsible for keeping the communal grounds reasonably clean and well lit, and for maintaining the communal areas.
It is not possible to list all the repairs and maintenance for which the Council will be responsible, but these would usually include:
Structure
- Roofs, drains, gutters and pipes on the outside of your home
- Outside entrance doors (but not the front doors to individual flats)
- Window frames and cills (excluding glass)
- Outside Paint work
- Shared paths and steps
- Chimneys and chimney stacks
- Communal stairs and landings
- Outbuildings, including drying areas
- Foundations
- External and internal structural walls (but not the plaster)
- Boundary fences (except where you or a neighbouring owner is responsible)
- Flue checks
Installations, fixtures and fittings
- Lifts
- Communal heating systems
- Shared water pipes, water tanks, gas pipes and electrical wiring
- Light fittings in shared areas
- Controlled door-entry systems
- Decorations in shared areas
Maintenance
- Keeping communal areas clean (where it is not the leaseholder’s responsibility)
- Maintaining and checking the Landlord’s electrical and lighting supplies
The Council will agree to provide the services listed above.Please note that the list above is not exhaustive and may be amended as and when necessary.
Leaseholder’s rights under the lease
You will have the right to use access ways, and to use such things as rubbish chutes, drying facilities and gardens.
The Council’s rights under the lease
To protect the rights of leaseholders and tenants in the block, we have the right to make reasonable rules about what people should or shouldn't do in the block. We also have the right to ask you for the payments that we have mentioned earlier on this page.
If you do not stick to your agreement we can end the lease for your flat.