Leaseholder frequently asked questions

You’ll receive a bill (called an invoice) for your service charges about three weeks after your service charge statement is sent out in early October. You’ll then have 30 days to pay it.

If you’ve made payments throughout the year, we’ll subtract those from the total amount you owe. The invoice shows a final calculation - either the remaining amount you need to pay, or any refund we owe you.

Ways to pay:

• Online – Use the invoice number (top right of your bill) as your reference
• Call the 24-hour payment line: 0800 021 7784
• In person – Pay at selected Post Offices or PayPoint outlets. Find locations at  www.allpay.net

If you're struggling to pay, contact us by email: homeownership@norwich.gov.uk.

We may be able to offer:

• an interest-free payment plan
• help from other support organisations.

Yes, you can sell at any time.

If you bought your home through Right to Buy, you will need to repay some of the discount if you sell within 5 years. The council can tell you exactly how much. This is based on a proportion of the current market value of your home. 

When you sell:

• the lease transfers to the new owner
• whoever owns the property on 31 March pays the full year’s service charges
• your solicitor should factor this into the sale
• before selling, it is recommended that you or your solicitor request a solicitor’s enquiry pack from the council. This includes:
  • service charge history and estimates
  • insurance details
  • info on recent and upcoming works
  • answers to buyer’s questions

The fee for our information pack is £150 (including VAT) payable. 

Payment can now be made online. We recommend you make payment using this method as it also generates an email to the team confirming that the payment has been made.

Yes, you can rent it out, but you must:

• tell the home ownership team
• fill out a Let Property form with your contact details
• you cannot use the property for business or short-term lets (like Airbnb).

Even if you rent it out, you’re still responsible for:

• making sure your tenant follows the terms of the lease
• paying all charges
• keeping up with safety checks (e.g. gas, electrical).

You might also be able to rent through the council.  You can find more information about the LetNCC scheme. 

Contact LetNCC at:

Email: pslt@norwich.gov.uk

Phone: 01603 989444

Yes, but only for parts of the building or estate that we’re responsible for. 

You can read more about what we are responsible for and also what your responsibilities are as a leaseholder.

Where the council needs to complete a repair, this will be carried out by our contractor, and you’ll be charged through your service charges.

You must get written permission from us before making any changes such as removing walls, installing vents or fans or anything that effects the block or shared areas.

Some changes, like satellite dishes or new windows, may also need planning permission.

No, the loft space belongs to the council and isn’t part of your lease. If you need access, please contact us.

If your flat will be empty for more than 30 days, please contact us as it could affect your insurance.

An FtT is a legal panel that helps resolve disputes between leaseholders and freeholders. It’s less formal than court and often held locally or online.

You can represent yourself, but it’s a good idea to get advice first.

Find out more on the gov.uk website.

You can go to an FtT for issues like:

• service charge disputes
• building insurance disagreements
• lease extension costs
• quality of services.

They can decide if charges are fair, but they can’t usually refund money or award legal costs. For those issues, you may need to go to court.

If your lease terms are unclear or unfair, the FtT may be able to change them.

We want to give you great service at Norwich City Council. If something hasn’t gone right, please tell us so we can fix it.

Step 1: get in touch

If you're unhappy, start by contacting us. You can:

• Fill out the Contact Us form
• Email: listening@norwich.gov.uk
• Call: 0344 980 3333
• Write to: Norwich City Council, City Hall Norwich NR2 1NH

What counts as a complaint?

A complaint is when you're still unhappy after contacting us, and you want us to look into it more formally.

If our customer contact team can’t answer your question, your complaint will be passed to the housing outcomes manager.

What happens next?

Once we receive your complaint:

• We’ll try to sort it out quickly
• if we can’t fix it right away, we’ll send you a written acknowledgment within 5 working days
• you’ll get a full reply from a manager or senior officer within 10 working days.

If your complaint is complicated and we need information from other teams or contractors, it might take longer. But we’ll keep you updated throughout.