Leaseholder handbook. Transforming Lives. /StockportHomes

Transcription

1 handbook Transforming Lives

2 handbook 1. Introduction This handbook outlines your rights and responsibilities as a leaseholder of Stockport Council, and the Council s responsibilities to you as a freeholder. It is not an authoritative interpretation of the law, nor does it override or affect the terms of the lease. If you require further guidance you should contact the Leasehold Officer or for legal advice an independent legal advisor such as a Solicitor, law center or the Citizen Advice Bureau. For more information about services, visit 2. About Stockport Homes is a limited company that exists to manage the housing stock owned by Stockport Council (the Freeholder). The Council still remains the freeholder and tenants / leaseholders rights do not change. is known as an Arm s Length Management Organisation (ALMO). This means that while the local Council established the company, it operates independently from it on day-to-day matters. For the purpose of this document where reference to the freeholder, the Council or the landlord will carry out these functions. 3. Your lease The lease is the legal contract between you and the Council and is an important document. You became a leaseholder by: buying your home from Stockport Council under the Right-to-Buy Scheme; or buying your home on the open market from the previous owner. You have the right to live in your home for a certain period without having to pay rent, except a small ground rent. The period is 250 years from the date the lease was first drawn up. Once you have bought the property, you and the Council both have to carry out your responsibilities as set out in the lease. There are different types of lease depending on the date you bought the property. You should always look at your own individual lease if you want to check something. Your lease describes the area you have bought and is often referred to the demised property. The demise is based on the lease plan, which shows the block (and estate, if applicable) in which your flat is located, your flat s position in the block, and any private garden, shed or other building sold with the lease. The lease refers to your building and estate as the premises. You should not use the plan solely and should always refer to the lease. The Council is responsible for the upkeep, maintenance, repair and improvement of the building as a whole and the development. You are responsible for paying your share of these costs through your service charge. 2

3 3. Your lease (continued) Where can I get a copy of my lease? You may have received a copy when you purchased the leasehold property. However, where there is a mortgage on the property it may be obtained from the mortgage lender. Alternatively the Land Registry may hold a copy or you can request a copy from Stockport Council. An administration fee is charged for providing a copy of the lease. It is important that you understand your lease and the conditions in it. Breaking the conditions could have serious consequences. You should read your lease carefully and get advice from a solicitor or the Citizens Advice Bureau if there is anything you are unclear about. Common terms used in the lease As a legal document, your lease uses legal terms. We have explained some of the more important ones in the glossary of terms and definitions at the end of this handbook. Extending your lease You have the right to renew your lease at any point for a period of 90 years, provided you qualify. The extension would be costed at the market value. Conditions of the lease The lease sets out the detailed conditions and responsibilities you have as the leaseholder or that the Council has as the freeholder. Some of the most important conditions are set out below. The freeholders rights and responsibilities are: to insure the building (but not the contents of your flat); to keep the structure and exterior of the building in good repair; to maintain and repair all the communal parts of the building and estate; to gain access to your home to carry out inspections or repairs (notice will be given); and to collect ground rent and service charges to cover your share of the costs of the repair, upkeep and management of your building and development. Please remember that while the freeholder is responsible for carrying out repairs, and the management of your building and development, you are responsible for paying your share of the costs, through your service charge. You should not undertake any repairs or maintenance to the areas for which are responsible. Your responsibilities: to pay the ground rent and service charges (which includes the costs of major works) as required; only to use your flat as a private home; to keep the interior of your flat plus fixtures and fittings in good condition and repair. This may include providing evidence that you had your gas appliance checked by a gas safe annually (see further notes); to repay some or all of the Right-to- Buy discount if the flat is sold within the repayment period; not to cause nuisance or annoyance to neighbours; not to make any internal structural alterations or improvements without getting permission from ; and to allow access for any inspections, repairs or work required to the building. Your rights as a leaseholder: As well as responsibilities, you have rights which are included in the lease. Some of the most important rights are: to enjoy in peace in your home without interruption by the freeholder, provided you pay all the charges you are responsible for under the lease and do not break any of the other conditions of your lease; and the use of the shared parts of the building and communal parts of the development such as communal gardens and, in some cases, car parking areas. 3

4 3. Your lease (continued) Anti-social behavior (ASB), nuisance and harassment We hope you never experience ASB, nuisance or harassment and enjoy your home and environment peacefully. You will find more information on how to report ASB and what will do to help you or our customers to solve cases of ASB. There is a suite of ASB leaflets that provide you with advice and guidance on dealing with ASB that you can download or you may request more information by contacting the Anti-Social Behaviour Team (see Appendix for contact details). Gas safety To ensure the safety of all our residents the lease requires leaseholders to keep gas equipment in a good condition and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends an annual service of all gas appliances by a qualified tradesman with Gas Safe Registration (formally Corgi). The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 states that you must not use a gas appliance or fittings you know or suspect to be unsafe (HSE Gas Safety Advice leaflet is available from your Leasehold Officer). There are additional regulations for leasehold properties which are rented to a third party. s may buy into gas servicing contract. There is a charge payable in full for which leaseholders are invoiced separately from their service charges. Please provide a copy of your annual gas safety certificate. You may a copy of send in the post to the Officer. Your lease may require that you provide a copy every year. Alterations and improvements Under the terms of your lease you can only carry out internal alterations or improvements to your home if you get written permission from. Your lease sets out works that will not be allowed even if you ask for 4 permission, for example, alterations to walls and lofts. You should always check your lease first before you think about any internal alterations or improvements. will look carefully at your request and visit you to discuss your proposals (if required). If this is needed, an officer from will make an appointment with you. may make a charge for this service and for the administrative costs involved in considering your request. will only refuse permission in certain cases such as safety reasons or where you want to alter something which is the responsibility of the Council. If give you permission, you will need to make sure you have all the permissions that you need, for example, Building Regulations approval and Planning Permission. You should also remember that you will be responsible for any maintenance or servicing of anything you do to your home. You must not start work before we give you permission. Failure to request the relevant permissions may result in you being asked to reinstate the alterations / improvements at your costs or issues when selling your property in the future. Communal windows and doors - The lease confirms that the communal windows and doors are the responsibility of the freeholder as form part of the structure. This means that will not give permission for you to replace the windows and the frames yourself. If the windows in your block need to be repaired or replaced will arrange it and you will have to pay your share of the cost of the work for the whole block as part of your service charge. Flat windows and doors - The window and door frames that are for your sole use also remain the responsibility however will recover the full cost of repairs and replacements through the service charges.

5 If have not made a provision to replace the windows and doors in your flat and you wish to replace them at your own costs you may do this with our written consent. As the freeholder remains responsible for the maintenance of the frames in the future we will ask you to use the same product as we use. This is currently Profile 22. In some blocks we will also ask that you comply with current fire regulations on the door frames. Television aerials On some blocks provides communal aerials for television users. If your block does not have a communal aerial, an indoor aerial may give a good reception. If you want an outdoor aerial fitted, you must apply to the Area Housing Office who will arrange for the work to be carried out by the Council s specialist TV aerial contractors. You will have to pay the cost of the installation in advance. You must not fit your own outdoor aerial as it could damage the building (you are liable for any repair costs) and may also be a serious safety hazard. s should not erect an aerial without permission or allow a receiver to cause interference to others. Satellite dishes and cable television You are not allowed to fix any satellite dish to Council property without obtaining Planning Permission and written consent. Residents will be asked to remove any dishes that are installed without the necessary consents. Many blocks have access to cable television which also enables you to select from a wide range of channels, including satellite and foreign language transmissions. Alterations to your home if you are elderly or disabled If you are elderly or disabled and find it difficult to access your home or to get around inside it, you may possibly be eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). This would be used to provide you with the appropriate equipment / adaptations. You should contact Disability Services in the first instance. If the affected person is under 18 years of age, you should either speak with their medical provider, or ring Children s Services (see Appendix for contact details). An assessment of need will be carried out. This will determine whether you are eligible for the grant, and how long your wait is likely to be. Please note that no stair lifts can be fitted in communal areas of the building. Buying the freehold Subject to certain conditions a group of leaseholders within a block have the right to buy the freehold of their block from the Council. Not all the flats within the block would need to be sold before the collective enfranchisement takes place. If all the flats within the building have been sold and there is no longer any properties managed by the Council may be willing to voluntarily sell you and your neighbours the freehold of your building. All the leaseholders in the building would have to agree to this. Varying the lease It is possible for certain conditions of the lease to be changed if all the leaseholders in the building agree. This is called varying the lease. For example, one of the reasons for doing this would be to change the responsibility for repairing or renewing windows from the Council to the leaseholder. This would allow individual leaseholders to repair or renew their own windows. 5

6 3. Your lease (continued) All leases will need to be varied in the same way and at the same time. Such action will incur legal and administration fees which are payable by each leaseholder. Offering back your property or paying back your right-to-buy discount In certain circumstances you may have to offer back the leasehold property to Stockport Council or pay back some of the discount you benefited from when you purchased the property. Your professional advisor or solicitors will be able to advise you on this. Should you be required to pay back some or the entire discount your solicitors will contact Stockport Council s Legal Department for a figure. Selling your property You can sell the property at any point during the lifetime of the lease. The person who buys it pays to take over the remainder of the lease. So if you purchased your home on a 250 year lease and sell if after 10 years the buyer will purchase the remaining 240 year lease. More information on selling your leaseholder property can be found at www. stockporthomes.org or on request from the Leasehold Officer. Losing your home by forfeiture or repossession There are some extreme circumstances when the freeholder or your mortgage lender could apply to the courts for possession of your home. If you break any terms of the lease we have the right, in certain circumstances, to end (forfeit) the lease and take possession of your property which would mean that you are unable to live in it. Examples of behaviour that could result in forfeiture are: you do not pay your service charges and ground rent; or you are responsible for anti-social behaviour or harassment towards your neighbours. The law, however, protects leaseholders in a number of ways. If the property is your home we cannot repossess it without a court order. would also have to serve you with a notice before we use our right to forfeit the lease (exercise where the breach relates to non-payment of sums reserved as rent by the lease). The notice must tell you how you have broken the lease and give you the opportunity to put this right. Forfeiture is a drastic action and as a responsible housing provider only uses it when it has to, in order to protect the interests of the Council, our tenants and other leaseholders. With overdue service charges, will always try to help people who have genuine financial problems. Reserve / sinking funds Your lease allows the freeholder to make a provision for a reserve fund, also know as a sinking fund to meet future liabilities of carrying out major works to the development. Following consultation with leaseholders in 2008 Stockport Homes decided not to make a collection towards a sinking fund, however this decision will be reviewed in the future. In the absence of a reserve / sinking fund once leaseholders are in receipt of their consultation paperwork for major works they should make arrangements to secure funds in advance of the works to be completed. You will not be charged more than the amount stated in the consultation paperwork. When issues the invoice it will ask you how you intend to meet these costs 6

7 4. Your rights As well as rights in your lease, there are other rights in law which apply to leaseholders. These are Acts of Parliament which have been agreed by Government. The law is complex and if you want to find out more about these or any other legal rights you should ask your solicitor or the Citizens Advice Bureau. Consultation for major works and long-term agreements is committed to consulting all residents, including leaseholders, at all stages of a major works project and entering into a longer terms agreement such as an insurance contract. The type of consultation will depend on the works / contract is planning to do. For example, if is planning a lot of work with major changes that affect you, it will organise more meetings and give more information to residents than if it is doing regular external decorations to your building. Where intend to recover more than 250 per leasehold flat for repairs or 100 for a service, you have a legal right to be consulted about the work before the work begins (Section 151 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002). You will receive a notice of intention which you can respond to within 30 days and you can comment on the scope of the works and/or nominate a contractor in some circumstances. Following this if we still propose to continue with the work, a further notification is sent containing details of the work and the estimated costs. You will then have 30 days to give us your comments. will try to include a suggested contractor as long as they meet all the conditions set for contractors. Where long-term contracts were established before October 2003 or a public notice is required the s will not be asked for names of contractors to add to a tender list. will look carefully at your comments and will have regard to them. You cannot refuse permission for the works to go ahead as the freeholder has a responsibility under the lease to repair and maintain the building. Where a Residents Association is recognised for the purpose of service charges under the Freeholder and Tenant Act 1985, they have the right to be consulted about the specification for the works and in some circumstances to be asked for the names of any contractors they would like to be put on the tender list for the work. Where work is of an urgent nature and cannot be delayed, it will be carried out without consultation for example, leaking roof or water burst and will approach the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to ask for dispensation to charge leaseholders for these costs without consultation. must provide evidence of the urgency. Service charges must be reasonable must make sure its service charges are reasonable. The services or works carried out must also be done to a reasonable standard. A guide to your rights and responsibilities can also be found on the communities and Local Government web pages - housing/booklet A summary of your rights will be sent with any demand for services. As a leaseholder you can apply to the Firsttier Tribunal (Property Chamber) if you think the service charges are not reasonable or the services or works are not of a reasonable standard. The tribunal has the power to decide whether or not they are reasonable. You do not have the right to withhold payment of service charges because you believe service charges are unreasonable. 7

8 4. Your rights (continued) The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) provides free advice on the law effecting residential long leasehold property and commonhold. You can telephone them on (weekdays 9.00am 5.00pm) Summary of service charge costs You have the right to ask to give you a summary of the service charge costs which you are paying. provides this summary every year. Inspecting invoices and receipts You can ask to see a breakdown of the cost or receipts (if available) that make up the service charges. do not charge you for looking at these directly, but it forms part of the management charges. will make a reasonable charge if you want photocopies. Please contact your Officer in writing to arrange this for you. Recognition of Residents Associations In order to become a recognised Residents Association for the purposes of service charges you would need to meet the following criteria as detailed in Section 29 of the Freeholder and Tenant Act 1985: there must be only one Residents Association for the development; and 60% of eligible Residents must be members of the Residents Association under the Freeholder and Tenant Act 1985, where a Residents Association meets the conditions of the act, we would write to them to give recognition for the purpose of service charges. Carrying out an independent management audit s have the right to carry out an independent management audit. This means that leaseholders appoint a qualified person to examine whether we are managing the leasehold homes properly. The costs of employing an auditor will be paid for by the leaseholders employing him or her. 8

9 5. Ground rent and service charges What is a ground rent? The ground rent is fixed annual payment which is set out in your lease. Ground rent is not related to the provision of any services. The demand will be sent with your annual service charge invoice. What is a service charge? A service charge is a payment you make towards the costs of providing and maintaining services for the development you live in. Service charges are split fairly between all the flats in the block as set out on the following pages. The Council pays the proportion relating to the rent paying tenants which is then recharged to them through the rent they pay. How do we calculate your share of the service charge? At the start of the year estimate the costs its expects to incur in maintaining the block or development you live in. The service charge year runs from April and charges are due annual in advance with the exception of communal repairs, major investment and programmed works which are issued at the end of the year. Management fee All leaseholders will pay a core management fee for services that they all benefit from or can access such as building insurance, leasehold and housing management costs. As each receives a different level of service an additional fee is charged for each service provided. A breakdown of how your management fee has been calculated can be obtained from the Officer. The management fee is subjected to VAT Building Insurance The cost to insure the building, including communal areas but not your contents. calculate the premium based on the sum insured which is set when the property is purchased under the right to buy. The sum insured is index linked and takes into account building costs and is increased accordingly. More information can be found in section 7 of this handbook. Lift charges This charge covers the 24-hour maintenance contract for lifts in the block. As part of the service the engineers will attend to faults and carry out statutory safety checks. Repairs carried out are included under responsive repairs as they are not included in the service agreement. The total cost of the service contract is divided by the number of units in the development as defined in your lease agreement. Should you live on the ground floor of a block where a lift service is provided you are contractually responsible for contributing to this cost. The following service costs are calculated by dividing the actual cost by the total number of units in the development as defined in your lease agreement with the exception of works that are for your sole use: Responsive repairs and maintenance Responsive repairs and maintenance of the communal areas which you share with other residents in the development as defined in your lease agreement. People who may report a responsive repair may include: s; Tenants; Neighbourhood Housing Officer; Technical Services Staff and contractors while attending other jobs. 9

10 5. Ground rent and service charges (continued) For more information about the repairs service, reporting a communal repair, providing feedback on a repair, please contact the contact centre or visit Website. (See Appendix for current contact details) Planned maintenance This provision includes communal works that plan in advance and can include: works to comply with new legislation; fire protection equipment; mechanical ventilating; replacement of communal light, TV Aerials, fencing, door entry systems and cleaning of gutters. Major investment works Includes large items such as replacements of lifts; refuse chute; soil and vent pipe; overcladding; roofing; windows. These costs are split equally between the properties in the development / block. Where the works are for sole use, for example, windows and door replacement you will pay the costs incurred plus a management fee. For more information about the planned maintenance or investment works, please contact the Investment Team or visit where you will find an indication of the works planned. See Appendix for contact details. The following service costs are based on the overall cost of providing the service. Regular service charge reviews take place to ensure that charges never exceed the cost of providing that service. Caretaking and cleaning Represents the cost of providing a Caretaking Service and may include: salaries, cleaning materials and transport. For more information about the Caretaking Service, please contact the Caretaking Team or visit org (see Appendix for contact details). Concierge / CCTV This covers the running costs, including repairs (with the exception of misuse and vandalism), of the Concierge and CCTV monitoring systems provided to your block. For more information about the concierge and CCTV service please visit org (see Appendix for contact details). Heating and hot water For the provision of heating and hot water where there is a communal boiler. Costs include fuel usage, annual service and carrying out some repairs. Costs incurred outside the contract such as replacement, hire of a generator while repair a boiler will be shown under responsive repairs and maintenance. Door entry system This covers the costs of the maintenance of the door entry system installed by the freeholder. Repairs are included with the expectation of misuse. Replacements will be an additional cost. 10

11 TV aerial service This charge covers the 24 hour contract which includes the call out but not the cost of the repair as this will be included under responsive repairs. Replacements will also be an additional charge. Communal electricity The charge for any electrical energy used in the common parts of the building or estate as defined in your lease document. Electricity can be used for any of the following: communal light; water pumps; door entry systems; lifts and TV aerials. Provision does not include the maintenance of electricity systems, in other words replacement of light bulbs. These will be shown under responsive repairs. Communal grounds maintenance Based on cost of maintaining the communal gardens / areas which you share with your neighbours (not private areas). The contract includes: mowing of the grass (box cuts where the cut grass is removed incur a higher charge), pruning of shrubs, removal of weeds and litter to shrub and rose beds, flower beds, hedge cutting, cleaning of paths and hard surfaces (free of weeds, moss and litter), removal of litter, minor vandalism to plants and regular inspections. For more information, visit or contact the Housing Office (see Appendix for contact details). 6. Collecting your ground rent and service charges will send you an invoice each year in March informing you of your share of the charges you will be required to pay for the coming year. will not know the cost of repairing and maintaining the communal areas and will therefore issue an additional invoice at the end of the financial year To help you budget you will be sent a monthly repairs statement detailing the works completed and the cost to you. How to pay your service charge By Telephone: You can pay using a debit or credit card by calling This service is available 24 hours a day. (Select garage rent option). Alternatively you can the Leasehold Officer on during office hours. On the Internet: You can pay your service charge online using a debit or credit card. Simply log onto and select pay your rent. At a Post Office, Pay Point or Payzone outlet: You can pay at any Post Office or any retail outlet displaying the Pay Point or Payzone logo using a swipe card or payment slip. Post Offices are open on Saturday mornings and many Pay Point outlets are open seven days a week and late at night. To request a free payment swipe card or payment slip, please call Direct Debit: You can pay your service charge by Direct Debit and will receive a discount for using this method of payment. You can download a Direct Debit Mandate form from or call the Leasehold Officer to set up over the telephone. offer a number of payment options and payment dates. 11

12 6. Collecting your ground rent and service charges (continued) Financial assistance with service charges The welfare benefit system can provide help to owner occupiers in certain circumstances if they have become unemployed or are suffering financial hardship. If you are in receipt of means tested benefits including Income Support, Universal Credit, Job Seekers Allowance or pension credits you should inform the benefits provider of the service charges you are required to pay. You are required to inform them of any changes to your service charge within four weeks of receipt of the demand. More information on money saving tips can be requested from the Leasehold Officer or by visiting Difficulty paying your charges Your lease states that you have to pay service charges and ground rent promptly on demand. If you are having a problem with payment for whatever reason, please contact your Leasehold Officer without delay. will be able to offer advice to help you claim any benefits you may be entitled to. Depending on your circumstances Stockport Homes may agree to you paying arrears in instalments. This is known as forfeiture of the lease (see previous section for further information or seek legal advice). Statement queries will send you regular statements please take time to check it carefully. Should you have a query please contact the Leasehold Officer. You may also check your account by loggin onto myonline myonline.stockporthomes.org Service charge disputes If you do not agree with the service charge invoice or want to challenge the cost of the service you should contact your Officer in the first instance. If you remain dissatisfied you will be advised to follow the complaints procedure. If you exhausted the complaints procedure and feel the matter has not been resolved you may approach the Ombudsman or apply to the Upper Tribunal who will make the final decision. With every demand for a service charge will include a summary of tenants rights and obligations under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 which will give you more information. Additional payment options are available for large major works invoice. Should Stockport Homes contact you to make you aware of major works it will send your further guidance. These are also available on request. If you fail to pay or make arrangement to pay your charges in full or to keep to any agreement you have made with, we will take legal action to recover the money you owe. This could affect your credit rating and mean that you also have to pay court costs. If you fail to pay your charges, you have broken the lease terms and ultimately you could lose your home. 12

13 7. Buildings insurance The Council insures the building where you live. This is because the Council is still responsible for the upkeep, repair and maintenance of the structure and communal areas and it would be very difficult to have more than one insurance company. The Council insures all sold flats with the same insurer. The building insurance only covers the structure and common parts of the building but not the contents of your home. We do recommend that you arrange insurance to cover your contents in your home. When you purchased your property or when change the insurance supplier you will have received a summary of cover which will give you details about your insurance cover. A statement of policy cover is available on request from the Leasehold Officer. In the event of loss or damage to your flat or the communal areas you should contact the Officer for the current procedure. You should not make good any damage until you have spoken to the insurance provider. The building insurance policy is index linked which means that it is increased automatically each year in line with rebuilding costs. If you feel your property is under insured, can arrange for it to be increased if Stockport Homes receive a written request from you. To reduce the cover you would need to provide a surveyors report confirming the insurance valuation. 8. Repair obligation and useful information Reporting a repair if you are leaseholder All residents, including leaseholders, are able to report a communal repair to the Repairs Contact Centre on When reporting a repair, please give as much detail as possible including which building is affected. You will be given an order number, which you should keep in case you have to contact Stockport Homes again, and a date when the first inspection will be made by. This is not the date Stockport Homes expect the work to be done by. s should remember that Stockport Homes will not carry out any works which are your responsibility under the terms of the lease, for example, internal repairs and areas which are solely for your use. A brief guide is included in this handbook. Please contact your Leasehold Officer if you need any more information. Where the cost of the works are to be over 250 per property will be required to consult leaseholders under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 and will result in a delay. Any temporary repairs will be carried out to ensure that the structure is safe and water tight. More information on the repairs service can be found on or by contacting the Repairs Contact Centre on You should review the sum insured at regular basis and take into account any improvements or alterations that might affect the value of the property. Your annual service charge includes an amount for insurance. 13

14 Type of repair Front door to flat Door and frame (including external decoration) Door handles Door locks Lost keys Additional security Internal doors in flat Internal decoration Windows to flat Window frames Window fixtures and catches Window panes Additional security Heating Communal boiler Individual heating system Room heaters Sweeping chimneys Fireplaces Electrical Faults within the flat Communal lighting Immersion heater Fuses Extractor fans Plumbing Burst pipe within the flat Tap and tap washers Stopcocks, ball valves, bath, basin, sink and blocked waste pipes Hot or cold water tanks within the flat Main storage tank (in communal loft) Balconies Unblocking gulleys (drains) Pigeon infestation Structural works 14 Responsibility to organise works Drains Blockage to shared drainage pipes Blockage within the flat/ pipes for sole use. Gas (National Grid ) Gas escapes within the flat Cookers Gas fires Gas servicing Structure Roofs Gutters Walls and ceilings Internal walls Structure of party wall Internal plaster Ceilings Walls to communal areas Floors within the flat Floorboards Joists Skirting boards Floor tiles Concrete screeding Decorations Internal decorations Decorations to communal areas Communal facilities Car parking areas Communal gardens and grassed areas Communal laundry and facilities Communal TV aerial Entry phone system and lifts Communal, path and gates Pests Insect / rodent infestation to individual property Insect / rodent infestation to block Pest Control

15 8. Repair obligation and useful information (continued) Asbestos 9. Getting involved in shaping the Leasehold services Customer focus events Tell us about your experience If your property was built before the mid 1980s, it is possible it contains materials made from asbestos. There is no need to worry about asbestos materials if they are in good condition, and it will not be necessary to remove them. However, it is important that asbestos is not damaged and if you suspect that you may have asbestos in your home, you should take extra care when doing DIY. You must not attempt work on sprayed asbestos, lagging or insulation boards, as this must be done by a licensed asbestos removal company. Do not drill, cut or disturb including scraping or sanding asbestos materials before painting and decoration. Further advice can be obtained from a licensed asbestos company or the Health and Safety executive. When buying the property your surveyor should have provided you with advice on asbestos in your home however we may be able provide you with more details on request. There may be a charge depending on the information required. In order for to improve the services it offer to you, it needs to know what you think. There are many ways to help make this happen and more information is available on or on request. You can choose to be involved as little or as much as you like depending on your own interests and the time you have to spare. s can join in any of the customer involvement events but also have specialised events for leaseholders Service Improvement meetings and forums where it addresses issues that you have raised as important to you. Stockport Homes also hold an database which is used to make you aware of leasehold issues and welcome you to join the database. Stockport Homes will not pass your details to a third party and you can ask for your name to removed at any time. You will receive a regular leaseholder survey, the results of which we use to improve the leasehold services. is committed to providing high-quality services, which meet its customers needs. To do this, we need to know your views. need to know when you are not happy with a service you have received. also need to know when it has done something well or if you have a suggestion for something it could do better. For more information on how to contact us about a compliment or complaint and what you can expect from should you wish to make a complaint, please visit or contact the Customer Feedback Officer (see Appendix for current contact details). Service Standards Service Standards are in place for each service area so that Stockport Homes customers have a clear understanding of the level and quality of service they can expect to receive. Service Standards also ensure that everyone receives the same level of service, and they allow to measure its performance, so that it can keep on improving the services that it delivers. More information on what you can expect from can be found on 15

16 10. Other useful information Selling your leasehold property Should you wish to sell your flat or maisonette additional guidance notes are available from the Leasehold Officer or by visiting Not living in your leasehold property You should tell if you move out of the flat on a temporarily or a permanent basis or change your contact details so it can amend its records. may need to contact you in the event of an emergency. If you rent your leasehold property out you will need to make sure that your tenant keeps to all the conditions which are in your lease. You will still be responsible for paying your charges even if you charge it to your tenant as part of the rent they pay you. Leaflets For more information, the following leaflets can be requested from your Leasehold Officer: Gas Appliances Get them checked. Keep them safe Issued by HSE Gas Safety Executive; Looking for an electrician? Guidance on how to employ a Niceic Registered Contractor. Issued by NIC Group; How safe is the wiring in your home? Guidance leaflet issued by NIC Group; Staying Put For homeowners who are over 60 years and require assistance with repairs and adaptations; Staying Put For homeowners in tax bands A-D who are over 60 years or in receipt of income related benefits and require assistance with home security. Paying for major works; Managing your Finances Aims to support s to manage their finances and pay service charges. It also provides help and advice to enable s to take steps to maximize income and deal with their debits. If you are not in debt, you may still find the information in this booklet useful. Credit Unions; and contents insurance policy. 16

17 Glossary Assignment Common parts Consultation This is the term used when the lease is sold on when you sell your flat. The new leaseholder is the assignee. The parts of the building or estate that can be used by all the residents, for example, stairs, lifts, paths and communal gardens. This is the process of asking for other people's opinions. Where possible we will consult you about anything we do that affects your property. A covenant is a condition in your lease that you or your freeholder are responsible for during your ownership of the property. Work that we do usually on a programme. That part of the block included in the lease you have purchased and are responsible for e.g. interior parts, along with any gardens or buildings. The building as described in your lease in which your flat is situated. This is the process where leaseholders may be able to buy the freehold of their block. This is a body which makes decisions about service charge disputes between freeholders and leaseholders. It is made up of a panel of people with experience of property disputes such as solicitors and surveyors. Fixtures Freehold Freeholder / Lessor You are responsible for these fittings in your flat and include kitchen units, the bathroom suite, light fittings and any central heating system (not district / communal heating). Absolute ownership of property and the land on which it stands. This is the person who owns the freehold of a property and grants a tenancy or lease to a tenant or leaseholder. This is the rent paid to the freeholder during the term of the lease. It is usually a small annual fixed sum payable by a leaseholder to a freeholder in recognition of the legal contract between them. Doing more work to a property than is required, in other words, flat to pitched roof. The lease is a contract that explains the Council's responsibility to you and your responsibility to the Council. An ownership of a property in a building, comprising of other flats / maisonettes and subject to the payment of service charges and ground rent for a set period of time. This is the person who has been granted the lease by the freeholder and is also known as a tenant. Covenant Cyclical maintenance Demised premises Development Enfranchisement First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Ground rent Improvement Lease Leasehold or lessee 17

18 Glossary (continued) Mortgagee Mortgagor Right to Enfranchise Section 125 notice Service charge Subletting Tender This is a bank or building society that lent you money to buy your property. A person that has received money from a bank or building society to buy their home. A right which allows a group of leaseholders to buy the freehold of their block. This is the consultation letter the Right-to-Buy section send to you prior to purchasing the property from the Council. It summaries the service charges and others works that you agree to pay within the first five years of the initial lease. This is a payment made by a leaseholder to Stockport Homes to cover the cost of managing, maintaining, repairing and possibly improving the structure and exterior of the building. This is where you rent out part or your entire home. This is what we do to get the best prices for large/ major contracts such as redecoration works and based on a detailed specification of the works. We invite contractors to give their price or 'tender' for the work. 18

19 Contact details Anti-social behaviour (ASB) (east area) (west area) To report ASB out of office hours, please call (reporting only). In an emergency contact Greater Manchester Police (GMP) on either 999 or Caretaking Service Childrens Service Concierge Service Customer Feedback Officer, 1 St. Peter s Square, Stockport SK1 1NZ feedback@stockporthomes.org Customer Finance Team, 2nd Floor, 1 St. Peter s Square, Stockport SK1 1NZ (west area) (east area) customerfinance@stockporthomes.org Customer Involvement Team, 2nd Floor, 1 St. Peter s Square, Stockport SK1 1NZ customer.involvement@stockporthomes.org Disability Services and Adaptations East Area Office (Bredbury, Brinnington, Compstall, Hazel Grove, High Lane, Marple, Marple Bridge, Mottram Street, Offerton, Romiley, Spring Gardens, Victoria Park and Woodley) 1 Berwick Parade, Northumberland Road, Brinnington, Stockport SK5 8LQ east.area.housing@stockporthomes.org Leasehold Officer Assurance Team,, 2nd Floor 1 St. Peter s Square, Stockport SK1 1NZ leasehold@stockporthomes.org Local Government Ombudsman PO Box 4771, Coventry CV4 0EH advice@lgo.org.uk Money Advice Team, 2nd Floor, 1 St. Peter s Square, Stockport SK1 1NZ moneyadvice@stockporthomes.org Planned Maintenance and Investment Team maint.invest@stockporthomes.org Repairs Contact Centre housing.repairs@stockporthomes.org West Area Office (Adswood, Bramhall, Bridgehall, Cale Green, Cheadle, Cheadle Heath, Cheadle Hulme, Councillor Lane, Davenport, Didsbury Road, Edgeley, Gatley and Heald green, Larkhill and Shaw Heath, Reddish, The Heatons and Lancashire Hill) Bridgehall Community Centre, Siddington Avenue, Adswood, Stockport SK3 8NR west.area.housing@stockporthomes.org 19

20 Accessing our services This handbook explains your rights and responsibilities as a shared ownership leaseholder. If you would like a copy in large print, Braille, on audio tape or CD, please contact the Social Inclusion Team on or inclusion@ stockporthomes.org Portuguese Farsi Chinese Urdu Arabic Polish Ref: /03/15 AB