Rights for Leaseholders
Buying the freehold of
your block of flats
In some cases, if you have a long lease, you
may be able to buy the freehold of your block with the other people
who live in it.
This is known as the right to
‘enfranchise’. Once you have bought the freehold, you can
decide how to manage the building.
You can get more information about this from
the Right to Buy and Leasehold Services section. But, please bear
in mind that you will be asked to pay a deposit in advance for our
administrative and valuation costs before we can provide you with a
price.
Extending your lease
You have the right to extend your lease.
This means that you can buy a new lease to add another 90 years to
the time left on your lease.
You can get more information about this from
the Right to Buy and Leasehold Services team. But, please bear in
mind that you will be asked to pay a deposit in advance for our
administrative and valuation costs before we can provide you with a
price.
Renting out (subletting your flat)
As a leaseholder, you are normally entitled to
rent out your flat as long as your mortgagee does not mind.
But, renting out your property may affect your
buildings insurance. This is because your premium is normally
based on the fact that you are living in the flat.
If you rent out your property, you will be
responsible for making sure that your tenants do not cause a
nuisance to other people who live in the block, for example, by
making noise or causing damage. You will also still be
responsible for paying the ground rent, service charges and
buildings insurance for the flat.
If you decide to rent out your flat, you must
fill in and return a Sublet Registration Form within 21 days of
renting your flat and tell us your new address and telephone number
so that we can keep in contact with you. You will also have to pay
a Registration Fee. For more information please contact the Right
to Buy and Leasehold Services team.
When you want to sell your flat
When you have found someone who wants to buy
your flat, your solicitor will need to give the buyers solicitor
information about your service charges. This will normally include
the amount of your normal charges each year, the balance of your
account, whether there are any major works planned and so on.
We do not include the cost of providing this
information in our management fee. So, to meet our costs we have to
charge whoever asks for the information.
Please ask your solicitor to contact the Right to Buy and
Leasehold Services section as soon as possible after you have
agreed terms with your buyer or your sale could be delayed. Your
solicitor will need to give us at least 15 working days to provide
all the information they will need.
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