Leaseholders frequently asked questions (FAQs)

FAQs are divided into the following five areas. Click on the links below for questions related to each section:

1. Repairs, maintenance and improvements

What are the repairs and maintenance responsibilities?

Leaseholders are responsible for the inside of their flat or maisonette, and any service pipes and cables that serve their flat only.

This includes items such as internal doors, pipe work, decoration, electrics and heating. The only exception to this is if the property is connected to the communal district heating system.

Norwich City Council is responsible for maintaining the external fabric of the building and any internal common parts. Repairs for these areas are reported through the customer contact team on 0344 980 3333. This includes roofs, drains, windows, external doors, communal lighting and shared paths.

Can I do my own painting/repairs?

Under the terms of your lease, all work to the structure of the building (which includes windows and doors) is our responsibility to carry out. We consult beforehand for major works so that you have the opportunity to comment on the work and review the estimated costs. The relevant costs will then be recovered from you after the work has been completed.

If you are consulted for this work and would like to consider doing it yourself, please contact the home ownership team during the consultation period. Terms and conditions would apply.

What sort of alterations do leaseholders need permission for?

Any addition or change to the structure of the property including:

internal wall removal
aerials or satellite dishes
doors and windows (see below)
vents in external walls.

(This list is not exhaustive).

Can I replace my own windows and doors?

Yes, but you must ask permission from the home ownership team before starting the work. You may also need planning approval in addition to your landlord’s consent.

There’s a broken tile/communal light out/leaking gutter etc...what do I do?

Repairs to communal areas or to the structure of the building should be reported to the customer contact team on 0344 980 3333.

Leaseholders are recharged for repairs – repairs to an individual property are charged in full, and block or estate repairs are charged at a proportion of the cost. If the repair is necessary as the result of an insured peril, leaseholders may be able to claim on the buildings insurance. Please note that wear and tear is not an insured peril. More details about insurance can be found below.

I need a repair carried out to my individual property.

The council is only responsible for repairs to the structure of the building. Individual repairs are normally the responsibility of the leaseholder to arrange. If you are unsure whether the repair is your responsibility, you can refer to the Leaseholders' handbook under the section 'Leaseholders’ responsibilities' or contact the home ownership team for advice.

Why do I pay towards the cost of repairs?

All occupiers pay towards costs of repairs. Tenants pay towards repair costs in their rent. Norwich City Council, as freeholder, is responsible for the upkeep and repair of the building, and all leaseholders are responsible for paying the cost of these repairs (or a proportion of the costs for repairs to the block) in accordance with the terms of their lease.

Why do I pay towards the cost of roof repairs – I’m on the ground floor?

As the roof is part of the structure of the building, all occupiers benefit from this and must pay a proportion of the costs of repairs in accordance with the terms of lease.

I don’t use the gardens/lifts/stairwells etc – why do I pay for repairs/maintenance?

You may not use them but they are there for the use, benefit and enjoyment of all occupiers, who are therefore equally responsible to pay a share of costs for repairing and improving these areas. This is in accordance with the terms of your lease.

Don’t you need to get more than one quote for any repair/maintenance work that you do to my block?

The council decided that the most efficient and economic way to carry out its building repair and maintenance, cleaning and other work, was to package it all together in one large contract, lasting until 2010. Several contractors made competitive bids and the successful company was Morrison Serviceteam Ltd. (CityCare). They offered to carry out the work for the lowest overall price and met all the other requirements of the contract, including standards of work. The whole process was overseen by a firm of reputable external consultants and CityCare began the contract on 1st April 2000.

2. Buying and selling the property

When can I sell my property?

You can sell your property at any time. However, if you purchased under the Right to Buy scheme you may have to repay some of the discount you received. The amount to be repaid depends on when completed your purchase – see Page 44 of the ODPM handbook 'Your right to buy your home'. Copies of this can be requested from the home ownership team on 01603 213144.

Will the council buy my flat?

If the property was purchased on or after 18 January 2005, the council must have first right of refusal if you sell your flat – See page 45 of the ODPM handbook 'Your right to buy your home'. Enquiries are currently dealt with by the Right to Buy officers, so please contact the home ownership team on 01603 213144 with any enquiries.

For properties sold before this date, the answer is usually no. However, requests will be considered on an individual basis, so again please contact the home ownership team with any enquiries.

Will the council waive the repayment of discount?

Requests will be considered in cases of genuine hardship or difficult circumstances. If you believe this applies to you, please contact the home ownership team on 01603 213144 and ask for the necessary forms from the Right to Buy officer.

How much are the council’s Notice of Assignment and Notice of Charge fees?

There is a £30 administrative fee charged for each notice and there is no VAT payable. Therefore, the total fee for both a Notice of Assignment and a Notice of Charge is £60.

The Notice of Assignment and/or Charge together with cheque in payment of the fee must be sent within one month of the sale completing to:

Legal Services
Norwich City Council
City Hall
Norwich
NR2 1NH

I’m selling my property and need receipts for last three years service charges and ground rent payments, also an estimate of the current year's costs.

All local solicitors are aware that we make a charge of £75 plus VAT to supply a leaseholders’ information pack. This gives full details of payments made, balances outstanding, insurance details, estimates for missing years, proposed works and any other information we are aware of that should be disclosed to a prospective purchaser. Both the request for the information pack and the fee should be sent to:

Sundry Income
Revenue Services
City Hall
Norwich
NR2 1NH

3. Service charges

When will I receive my service charge statement and invoice?

At the end of the financial year, we have to collate all the actual costs before we then work through sending out service charges alphabetically. We aim to complete the whole exercise by the end of September each year and this is the latest that you should expect to receive your statement and invoice.

I have only owned the property for part of the year, how much of the service charge do I have to pay?

We can only issue one service charge statement and invoice per financial year (1 April – 31 March) – this is in accordance with the terms of the lease. The statement and invoice is sent to whoever is the leaseholder as at 31 March each year and they are liable for all charges incurred during this period. If the lease is sold mid-term, any apportionment of the year’s charges must be made between the person selling the property (vendor) and the new lessee (buyer) prior to sale. Norwich City Council will not be involved in any such agreement.

The only exception to the above is if the property is purchased direct from the council under the Right to Buy scheme. The first service charge will be from the date of purchase until the following 31 March.

I can’t afford to pay my service charge, what can I do?

Contact the home ownership team straight away if you think you will have difficulty paying your service charge. You are required under the terms of your lease to pay for all charges associated with the upkeep and maintenance of the building in which your property is located. The council is legally obliged to recover service charges from leaseholders. However, in cases of genuine financial difficulty, we may be able to arrange instalment plans or offer advice so that you can make the payments more manageable.

4. Insurance claims

Am I insured?

Yes. Buildings insurance is included as a 'service' to property and the costs are recovered within your service charge. However, as with all the council’s insurance, we pay in advance at the beginning of the financial year. Our insurers are Zurich Municipal and a summary of cover is available for leaseholders once in each insurance period. Please contact the home ownership team if you’d like to be sent a copy.

Can I arrange my own buildings insurance?

You cannot arrange your own buildings insurance. As the council is the freeholder of the building, we are responsible for obtaining buildings insurance for the property. Also, it is illegal for there to be more than one buildings insurance cover on the property.

How do I make a claim?

Contact the home ownership team to obtain an insurance claim form. We have to fill in part of the form as freeholder of the property and this will be done before the form is sent to you. We also keep a record of all forms sent out. We cannot indicate whether your claim will be successful as this is dealt with by the insurers.

I have made a claim with Zurich Municipal and I have a question.

You should contact Zurich Municipal on 0870 241 8050 if you have any queries about a claim in progress.

5. General queries

Can I sub-let the property?

Yes but you must inform us of your intention. Subletting may affect the buildings insurance and the home ownership team will send you a form to complete and return. If you do not tell us it is sub-let, a claim could be denied by the insurers.

My property is going to be empty, is this ok?

You must inform the home ownership team if the property is empty for 30 days or more as this will affect the building insurance. If you do not tell us it is empty, a claim could be denied by the insurers.

Please see your leaseholders' handbook for additional information and answers to questions you may have:

Leaseholders' handbook

If you have a specific query about your leasehold property that is not answered here or in your leaseholders’ handbook, please contact the home ownership team on 01603 213144 or email us on homeownership@norwich.gov.uk

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