The rights and responsibilities included in your lease are as follows:
Payment of service charges
Leaseholders are required to pay annual ground rent (if applicable) and service charges – these are a contribution towards services or works provided to the block or estate where your property is located.
In addition, shared owners will also be required to pay rent on their un-acquired shared percentage.
Gas Safety
If you are a resident leaseholder, you are recommended to have a gas safety check carried out each year. If you have sublet your property, by law, under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, it's your responsibility to get a Gas Safety Certificate every twelve months. You must get this from a Gas Safe Registered engineer for all pipe work, gas appliances and flues installed at your property. It is your responsibility as a Leaseholder to then hold the certificate and ensure that Leasehold Services have a current copy of the certificate on the property file at all times.
Sub-letting
You must seek permission from Leasehold Services if you want to sub-let your property. You are to provide your correspondence address, you contact details and details of any managing agents.
You will need to provide us with a copy of the tenancy agreement as well as up to date Gas Certificate.
You will still be responsible for paying the service charges, maintaining the property and for the behaviour of your tenants, their family members and visitors and ensuring the terms and conditions of the Lease are met.
Further information on subletting can be found here.
Alterations
Under the terms of your Lease, you will require the Landlord’s permission before carrying out any alterations to the structure or fabric of the property as well as fittings and fixtures. Our permission is needed before beginning any proposed alterations. This is separate to any planning or building control consent required. Further information on alterations can be found here.
Access
Hounslow officers, or their contractors have the right to enter properties to carry out inspections, repairs and maintenance works, including for communal services that run through any property or block. We will give you at least 48 hours’ notice before doing this. However, in the event of an emergency this period may be shorter.
Selling and re-mortgaging
You can sell your property whenever you wish. However, if a purchase was made under the Right-to-Buy scheme, and the sale is within the discount repayment period, you will be required to repay some, or sometimes all, of the discount you initially received. If you decide to sell the property within the first 10 years of purchase under the Right-to-buy scheme, the Council has the right of first refusal which means you have to offer to sell it back to the Council before you can sell it on the open market.
Please be aware, if the Council do not wish to take up the option of purchasing the property, you may be required to obtain a Certificate of Compliance. Please seek independent Legal Advice, regarding meeting the requirements of the Registered Title prior to selling your property.
Please e-mail the Home Ownership Team for further information on this.
Repairs
Hounslow is responsible for repairing and maintaining the structure and common parts of the building you live in and for communal areas around the estate and you must pay your share of the cost. You are responsible for maintaining the inside of your property, including: decorating regularly; maintaining the internal plumbing; electrical wiring; gas pipes; boilers and central heating (unless you are connected to a communal / district heating system).
Please note you may require consent for any works you wish to do to the structure or fixture and fittings. Further information can be found here.
or by calling 020 8583 4000.
Insurance
It is the responsibility of the Council to provide leasehold buildings insurance cover for your property.
Leaseholders however need to arrange insurance cover for their own contents.
The cover provided by the Council is for the structure of your property as well as communal areas.
Further information on Buildings Insurance can be found here.
Nuisance
You or any visitors to the property must not cause a nuisance to the Council or your neighbours at any time. This includes but is not limited to things like playing televisions and radios at unreasonable levels, harassment to neighbours, using the property for illegal purposes, failing to control any pets, and obstructing communal areas with any items. These can result in a breach of lease and the Council may take legal action against you.
Use of property
Under the terms of your Lease, your property can only be used as a private, self-contained residential flat in single occupation. Your property must not be let as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). If you wish to sublet your property you must seek permission from Leasehold Services.
Further information can be found here.
Holding a sale, auction or running a business from the property is also not permitted.
Buying the freehold
If you meet certain statutory conditions you have the right to purchase the freehold of the building. This is called ‘Leasehold Enfranchisement’ or ‘Collective Enfranchisement’.
You are advised to obtain Legal Advise on this matter before proceeding.
Further information can be found on this here.
Contact us for more information
You can contact us in the following ways:
Telephone: 020 8583 3787
