Leaseholders

When you buy your property, you become bound by the conditions of the lease which is the legally binding document between you, the leaseholder, and Community Gateway Association, the freeholder.

Your solicitor should have given you a copy of your lease when you bought the property and explained your rights and responsibilities as well as our rights and responsibilities.

Your lease will describe what you own and how long you own it for. It will also confirm any charges or circumstances which may mean your lease could end.

Not all leases are the same. It’s worth checking your lease first if you have any questions about your home.

You should check the terms of your lease to see what your full responsibilities as a leaseholder are. These will include:

• Maintaining the interior of your home
• Requesting permission to do certain things such as home improvements, sub-letting or having pets.
• Paying your service charges in full and on time
• Not doing anything which would cause a nuisance to others

Your lease will also confirm what Community Gateway Association is responsible for which could include:

• Cleaning and maintaining communal areas
• Carrying out repairs and maintenance in and around the building
• Insuring the building

Your service charge depends on what services we provide where you live.

Around July/August each year we will send you an invoice confirming what your service charges are for the year. The invoice will provide a breakdown of what services you are paying for.

We may offer an incentive of 5% discount to leaseholders against the invoice to encourage prompt payment within 30 days of the date of the invoice.

Where leaseholders are struggling to pay their service charges in full, we will agree to payment by instalments. The level of the instalments will be based on the leaseholder’s personal circumstances and the amount of money which is owed.

Leaseholders who are struggling to pay their service charges will also be able to access advice and support from our Tenancy Support Team. Some leaseholders in receipt of welfare benefits may be able to claim additional benefits to pay towards their service charges.

Service charges are a contribution towards the cost of the various services we provide to you and the other properties within your block or building. Service charges help us to make sure your home and the surrounding area are well maintained, safe and looked after.

Service charges cover things like:

• Day-to-day repairs: These are routine jobs carried out on the communal areas of the block or building. They may include guttering, lighting, drainage or repairs to the security access system.
• Grass and garden maintenance: If your block or building receives a grass-cutting service or the hedges/flowerbeds are maintained. The amount you pay will depend on the size of the area maintained.
• Cleaning and security: If your block receives a cleaning or security service (or both), there is a charge that covers the cost of the cleaning materials, hours worked and any maintenance to security equipment.
• Communal lighting: If your block has communal lighting, including external security lights, you are charged for the electricity they use

Please contact our Income Management Team on 0800 953 0213 (option 3) to discuss the best way to make a payment. Payments can be made:

• Over the telephone using a debit or credit card.
• By standing order – we will be happy to send you a form in the post for you to complete and take to your bank.
• By post, you can send us a cheque or postal order to Community Gateway Association, Harbour House, Portway, Preston, PR2 2DW. Please include your full name and details of the leasehold property address.
• In person at our offices at Harbour House, Portway, Preston, PR2 2DW. Please ask to speak with a member of the Income Recovery Team. Our offices are open Monday-Friday 10 am to 4 pm.

If you have already bought your home and want to rent it out, then you will need to send us a formal request to sub-let. You will need to do this in writing to the Tenancy Services Team, Community Gateway Association, Harbour House, Portway, Preston, PR2 2DW.

Once we have received your request, we will look at all the details and if we agree to it, we will provide you with a consent letter. The consent letter is for you to give to your mortgage lender or insurer. We may charge an administration fee for providing this consent.

As a leaseholder you will still be required to maintain the property and pay the service charges.

If you sub-let your property, it’s important that you tell us where you will be living and make sure we have your up-to-date contact details.

There are also important things you need to know about safety checks that are legally required if you sub-let your home. As a landlord, you are responsible for the safety of your tenants. If there is a gas supply to your property you must ensure there is an annual gas safety inspection, and an electrical inspection must be undertaken every five years. Copies of the relevant certificates should be supplied to Community Gateway Association as the freeholder and to your tenants.

CGA are responsible for insuring the structure of the building.

The leaseholder buildings insurance must cover the full reinstatement of the property in the event of a disaster.

If you have suffered any damage to your property, for example a flood or water damage then your leasehold building insurance might cover it.

Take a look at the insurance policy summary to see what is covered.

Leaseholders are responsible for insuring their own contents within their home.

You may need our permission to make alterations to your property. You should check the details of your lease before you make any alterations to your home and avoid breaching the terms of your lease.

If you are intending to make structural alterations to your home, we will require full details, including plans, proof of planning permission and building control consent where applicable.

Depending on the nature of your alteration we may charge a fee for providing our consent.

CGA will maintain and repair the building including the shared and communal areas, access, boundaries and estate grounds.

You will be charged for your share of any repairs and maintenance that relates to the block or building.

If the repairs and maintenance relate to just your home, then you will be responsible for the whole amount.

You are responsible for all repairs and maintenance within your home.

Sometimes it may be necessary to undertake major works to your block or building. We will try to consult with all leaseholders before undertaking such works. In some cases leaseholders will be offered the choice to opt in for any work that is not a requirement of their lease.

We understand that major works can sometimes be difficult to budget for and we will work with you to agree a suitable repayment plan. This will mean you can spread the cost of the work over a reasonable period of time if you are struggling to pay the full amount immediately.

You can sell your home at any time, but you should seek independent legal advice before doing so.

When you have secured a buyer for the property you/your solicitor should contact us so we can advise what amounts are outstanding in relation to the day-to-day service charges and any other fees. We also need to know the name of the buyer so we can update our records.