Your rights as a shared owner

You’ve the right to sell your share of your home at any time. You should get in touch with us and we’ll explain all your options. 

It’s generally outlined in your lease that there’s an eight-week nomination period. This typically allows us to attempt to sell your share (so it continues to be a shared ownership home).

If at the end of this period, we haven't sold your share, you can seek to sell your share or the full interest through an estate agent.  
  
Your home will be sold at the full market value at the time of sale.

If you’ve bought your home through Shared Ownership, you can purchase further shares in the property when it’s affordable for you to do so.  

Staircasing allows you to increase your equity share and will reduce the amount of rent you pay monthly.

If you own 100% of your home and wish to sublet it you should be able to do so without any issues but we ask that you request permission from us to do so first. Please always check your lease terms to make sure there are no restrictions. 

If you own less than 100% of your home, you’re usually not allowed to sublet your shared ownership home, but we may consider a request to sublet in exceptional circumstances.

If you have any questions about subletting please contact us.

We recommend all shared owners make a will setting out what they wish to happen to their home if they die. 

If you die without a will, intestacy rules will decide who should inherit the part of your home you own. Usually, this means it will pass on to your children (if you’ve any) or closest blood relatives.   

We suggest you seek independent advice on how this might apply to you.  

We’re responsible for the repair and maintenance of the common parts of the building. You’re responsible for maintaining the inside of your home.

We’ve a right to inspect the condition of your home and must give you notice if we wish to do so. 

Please refer to your lease for the exact length of time we need to give notice.

Your agreement will also set out your responsibilities in keeping your home free from disrepair and defects, as well as other rules and more information. 

A service charge is the money you pay for the cost of services and repairs to shared parts of your building. No matter who lives in your block or on your estate, you’ll only ever pay your portion of the costs. 

You’ve a right to request more information about your service charge and how it has been calculated. Please contact us to discuss any queries are concerns you may have.

Get in touch

You can talk to us over the phone or get in touch using our online services. More information on service charges for homeowners can be found in our Southern Spotlight publication here.

If after speaking to us and you’re still dissatisfied, you’ve a right to apply to the First-tier Tribunal to determine whether you’re liable to pay service charges.  

You may make a request before or after you’ve paid the service charge. You’ll find information about how to do this on the Government website.

You’ve a right to be consulted under Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (as amended) when we intend to enter a contract for services or carry out works to your building that’ll be charged to you through the service charge. 

It’s our responsibility to keep our residents and homeowners safe. It’s why we’re doing everything we can to comply with all the Government guidance and regulations to ensure all our buildings meet the required standards. More information can be found here.

We must ensure you and those living in your home are safe and feel safe in buildings managed by us.

We must ensure we meet the shared parts and the structure meet standards set out in health and safety laws. 

We’re legally required to carry out fire risk assessments for all blocks of flats. We must also legally have a “responsible person” who’s accountable for the building’s fire safety. 

The job of this person is to make sure all relevant fire safety tasks are carried out. 

They make sure any necessary action is taken to prevent fires, or death or injury, if a fire takes place. 

The responsible person must ensure a valid fire risk assessment is made on your building. We carry these out every one to five years. 

You mustn’t interfere with fire systems provided for your safety and you must let us know if you spot anything that’s faulty, like a fire alarm or fire door, so we can repair promptly. 

A qualified person must carry out a visual inspection of the flat entrance fire resisting door, including checking the door self-closes effectively and fits correctly in the frame. You must allow us access to do so. 

The Right to Manage (RTM) is a statutory right given to qualifying leasehold property owners of flats in a qualifying building. It allows leaseholders to take over the management functions from their landlord if that is what they would like to do. 

To qualify for the Right to Manage there must be: 

• More than two flats in the building 

• At least two-thirds of flats are held on a long lease (over 21 years) 

• At least half of the flats, held by those on long leases, want to take part in the Right to Manage application 

• There’s not more than 25% of the total floor area taken up by non-residential areas (such as shops/commercial units). 

How does it work? 

Using the prescribed procedure, leaseholders must set up a Right to Manage company.  

When the correct procedure has been followed, the RTM company will take over the legal responsibilities from the freeholder. This includes management of the building and service charges, as well as all responsibilities laid down by the Building Safety Act.  

The Right to Manage Company can choose to appoint a managing agent to manage the building on their behalf. 

What support can we provide? 

We’ll work with you and provide the necessary information as prescribed by law. We may also be able to help you understand how to manage the building.  

Whilst we’ll try to provide you with helpful information, we’d encourage you to take independent legal advice as creating a RTM company and taking over the management of a building is a big decision with significant legal responsibility. 

Where can I get more information? 

The Leasehold Advisory Service provides free independent advice to leaseholders.