Whether you bought your home from us through Right to Buy or on the open market, if you’re new to being a leaseholder there are some key things you’ll need to know.
We still own the building, or freehold of the building, that your home is part of, and you have purchased the right to live in your property for the length of your lease.
Your home is a flat or maisonette within a larger building that’s divided into individual units. Most buildings have shared areas such as the roof, stairways, halls, landings, and sometimes other residential or commercial spaces.
These shared parts of the building and grounds are maintained and renewed for all occupants' benefit. The cost of this work is shared between all residents, based on the proportions set out in your lease. We pay for the cost of the works and you contribute towards these costs through your annual service charges.
How long is a lease?
A standard Right to Buy (RTB) lease runs for 125 years from the date the property was first purchased. If the flat is later sold on the open market, the new owner takes on the remaining years of that original lease. For example, a flat bought under RTB in 2002 and sold in 2013 would have 114 years left.
At Dover District Council, all leases in the same building end on the same date as the first lease granted there. This means any later leases also expire on that same date — known as coterminous leases
Service charges
As part of buying your property, in addition to any mortgage you may have, you have a responsibility to pay your share of the costs of maintaining and managing the building.
Service charges can include, but are not limited to:
- ground rent (any new leases granted after 30 June 2022 or leases that have been granted an extension will not have any ground rent charge)
- grounds maintenance and cleaning
- routine repairs, services and maintenance
- electricity charges for any shared areas, for example lighting, power to lifts and door-entry systems
- administration charges/management fee
- major works and improvements (for example replacing roofs, structural works – these can result in very large service charge bills)
- buildings insurance.
The buildings insurance policy covers your flat and the rest of the block, and you must pay your share of this cost. It does not cover your furniture or personal belongings, so you will need to arrange separate contents insurance for these items.
Major works
We are legally required to consult with council leaseholders on two areas. There are qualifying works (major repairs, planned and unplanned) and qualifying long-term agreements (long-term contracts for services such as cleaning or grounds maintenance and also long-term contracts for major and responsive repairs).
We must consult for:
- qualifying works, where the cost of the works to the building will exceed £250 for any leaseholder
- a long-term contract (which means over 12 months) and where any leaseholder will be, or is likely to be, charged more than £100 in a financial year
- a long-term agreement as above but where we are required to advertise for interest from contractors because of the high value of the contract.
If the work is an emergency and the cost is over £250, we would not be able to delay the work in order for notice to be served. This could be for something like a collapsed sewer.
Repairs and alterations
Some repairs are your responsibility and others fall to us. Let us know if there is a repair needed to the structure of the building or a communal area.
You also need to inform us if you are planning any alterations to your home, including replacing a bathroom or kitchen, or front door.
More on council leaseholder properties
Need help?
- email: homeownership@dover.gov.uk
- phone: 01304 872247
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