Who is responsible for repairs in my home?
You have a full repairing lease, which means that you are responsible for keeping your home in a good state of repair.
Your lease will tell you what you own (the 'demise') and therefore what you are responsible for maintaining.
If you own a house you are responsible for all repairs and maintenance to your home whatever the size of share that you own, but, depending on the terms of your lease, we may be responsible for:
. Communal refuse facilities (bin stores)
. Communal external boundaries, walls, fences and pathways
. Lighting in communal areas
If you own a flat, you are responsible for all repairs and maintenance except:
. The foundations and damp course
. The roof
. Rainwater gutters and down pipes
. Communal staircases and entrance halls
. Communal windows
. Communal electrics and lighting
. Entry phones
. Communal TV aerials
. Communal fire protection systems
. Communal refuse facilities
. Plumbing up to main stop to, communal water tank and communal soil pipe
. External boundaries
. External doorframes and external flat windows.
Who can I get to carry out repairs?
If the repair is your responsibility you must arrange for a contractor to make the repair and are responsible for payment. We recommend that you obtain a quotation before agreeing to have work done.
If the repair is our responsibility we will arrange for a contractor to make the repair. We will collect your share of the payment via the service charge.
How do I report a repair?
If a repair is required within a communal area you can report this to our Customer Service Team on 08452 700720.
What if I live in a newly built property?
The builder may be responsible for making good any construction or installation defects that appear in the first few months. We will tell you before you move in if any guarantee period applies to your home. If your home is covered by a builder's guarantee, it is important to report any defects to our Customer Service Team as soon as you discover them. We will then inform the builder on your behalf.
What happens at the end of the defects liability period?
At the end of the defects liability period your home will be inspected and any problems noted and referred to the builder to remedy. The contractor is not responsible for any damage caused by you.
Can I make alterations or improvements to my home?
You must request our written permission prior to undertaking any improvements to your home, for example, replacing kitchen units, erecting a shed or building a loft extension. We will not give permission if the proposed work will make the property unsafe or reduce its value or if there are any legal restrictions affecting your home that prevent it. It is your responsibility to ensure that local authority planning a building consent is obtained if necessary and that the work is done to a high standard. We may want to inspect the work when it has been completed.
If at a later date you sell your home, we will value the improvements separately. It is therefore important that you keep records of plans, invoices and receipts, along with a copy of your permission letter from us. The cost of your improvement may be more than the value added to your property, as assessed by an independent valuer.
Who is responsible for testing my gas and electricity supplies?
Because the term of your shared ownership lease is over 7 years, you are responsible for testing your own gas and electricity supplies.
We recommend that you test your smoke alarms once a week and have all gas appliances serviced once a year by a CORGI registered contractor.
What about buildings insurance?
It is a condition of your lease that we arrange the buildings insurance on your behalf. The cost of this is included in your rent. It does not include cover for the contents of your home. We recommend that you check your mortgage details to ensure that your lender is not charging you for buildings insurance.
If you buy 100% of the shared of your property and acquire the freehold, you will become responsible for your own buildings insurance.
