If you are a shared owner you have the same responsibilities as other leaseholders.
Your lease is a legally-binding contract that sets out all of the terms by which we allow you to occupy your home. It sets out your rights and responsibilities and the services we will provide and manage on your behalf.
If you are a shared owner, you own part of your home and pay rent to us on the remainder. As a shared owner you have a lease and the same responsibilities as other leaseholders.
The lease gives you rights over the land and/or buildings for a set period – usually a very long period.
You can find the answers to a range of questions about your lease in our simple online guide for leaseholders.
You can read our Leaseholder and Freeholder Management policy here.
If you are a shared owner you have the same responsibilities as other leaseholders.
If you are a leaseholder or a shared owner and you live in a flat and you are thinking about selling, remortgaging or staircasing your home, major changes to Government guidance around building safety could have a significant impact on you.
We are responsible for providing the services set out in your lease agreement. This depends on the type of home you live in and where you live.
Services we provide include gardening, cleaning and work to improve communal areas in blocks, refurbishments to lifts and car parks and arranging building insurance.
You are responsible for paying part of the cost of the services we provide where you live – this is your service charge.
As a leaseholder your rights are:
As the landlord of the building our rights are:
All of your rights are set out in your lease agreement.
Your service charge covers the day-to-day running costs of your building and if applicable, the estate your building is on.
Your lease sets out how we work out service charges. Every year we will write to you setting out what your service charge will be with a breakdown of how these have been worked out.
Most service charges are one of two types – fixed or variable.
To read more about service charges visit our service charges page.
Read our Service Charge Policy.
Our service charges page includes a list of commonly asked questions.
You are responsible for repairs and maintenance inside your home.
If you want to make major structural improvements to your home, you should contact us first.
We are responsible for keeping the structure and exterior of the building in good repair.
We are also responsible for the upkeep and management of the building and estate you live in. When we complete repairs or major works to these, you are responsible for paying your share of the cost. We will recoup this through your service charge.
Your utility bills pay for the energy you use in your home, the costs in your service charge represent the costs associated with running things like lights inside your block, external lights for pathways and car parks, and communal heating for your building.
Your service charge covers the day-to-day running costs of your building and if applicable, the estate your building is on.
Your tenancy agreement or lease sets out how we work out service charges. Every year we will write to you setting out what your service charge will be with a breakdown of how these have been worked out.
For more information visit our service charges page.
The gardening costs in your service charge relate to the maintenance of the communal outdoor spaces where you live, not your own garden.
These spaces can include grass, trees, shrubs and paved areas. The cost of maintaining these spaces is covered by us or our chosen contractors, not the local council, and passed on equally through the service charge to those customers who have access to and benefit from these spaces.
You are not allowed to sub-let your home. Your rights are set out in your lease.
If you want to get a lodger you do not have to ask our permission. It is important that when you take in lodgers you do not become overcrowded.
As long as we retain part ownership of your property we will maintain structural insurance.
If you are a shared owner or leaseholder you can download a summary of your building insurance cover here.
If you want to make a claim you’ll need to send details directly to Zurich at farnboroughpropertyclaims@zurich.com or on 0800 028 0336.
You can also contact Zurich by post at Zurich Municipal Property Claims, PO Box 3303, Interface Business Park, Swindon, SN4 8WF.
You’ll need to provide the following information:
You can apply to purchase more shares in your home at any time.
To do this just contact us.
If you would like to purchase more shares in your home, you will need to instruct an independent valuer who is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to value your home, the fee for the RICS report is payable by you.
When you get the report we will write to you to let you know the price of extra shares.
Your rent will reduce when you purchase further shares.
Some shared ownership schemes have restrictions on the share percentage you can purchase.
