Leaseholder services

Introduction

If you are one of our leaseholders you will have the lease of a flat or maisonette for a set term (usually 125 years) and Broxbourne Housing Association is the freeholder of the building. Your lease agreement details your responsibilities and those of Broxbourne Housing Association as freeholder.

Generally, we are responsible for maintaining the fabric of the building and providing services such as cleaning and lighting to communal areas. As a leaseholder you will contribute towards these costs as part of your service charge.

You can navigate to the various sections on this page by clicking on the relevant links provided below:

Gas Safety

As a leaseholder you are responsible for servicing your gas boiler and appliances. As this is an important health and safety issue we have negotiated a competitive price with a contractor that you can contact for the service:

The current cost is £60 plus VAT and the offer is valid until 31st March 2010.
MC Property Services Ltd
Unit 9 Gentlemans Field
Westmill Lane
Ware SG12 0EF
Tel: 01920 465111 Reference BHA/0310

From 1st April 2009 there was a significant change to Gas Safety law which means that all gas appliances have to be maintained, installed and serviced by a GAS SAFE engineer. This replaces the CORGI gas registration.

All GAS SAFE registered engineers have an ID card with a unique licence number and photograph which you should check before allowing them in to your home. If you are in any doubt you can check the engineer's number on the website: www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk or by telephoning 0800 408 5500.

Buildings Insurance

As freeholder we have a duty to ensure that your building has adequate insurance. We arrange this on annual basis and now issue you with a summary of cover upon renewal each April.

If you need to make a claim please contact Acumus on : 0870 942 0306 (office hours)

Or in the event of an incident out of office hours, you should take whatever action is necessary to prevent further damage. If the damage has been caused by a major incident and is likely to be more than £5000 or where the property can no longer be occupied please immediately contact the nominated Loss Adjuster (Merlin) on 0131 654 5444.

The buildings insurance does not cover your contents; you will need to arrange your own contents insurance.

Subletting your Leasehold Property

It is possible to sublet your leasehold property; however you need to let us have contact details for you as we may need to contact you in an emergency e.g. flood or fire.

The lease will still be in your name so even though you may not be living at the property, you must make sure that the terms and conditions of the lease are followed. This means that you are responsible for both the property and the way that your tenants, their household and visitors behave. This is irrespective of any agreement that you may have with your managing agent or tenant.

As the leaseholder, you will still be responsible for paying service charges, ground rent and buildings insurance.

As a landlord you are responsible for ensuring that your gas appliances are serviced on an annual basis.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why do I pay Service Charges?

As freeholder we have a duty to maintain the structure of the building and provide services. As a leaseholder you contribute towards these costs by way of your service charges.

We estimate the costs at the beginning of each financial year in April and at the end of each financial year we calculate the actual expenditure and either credit your service charge account or issue an invoice for the difference.

What services do I pay for?

We provide the following services, although the direct services you receive will depend on where you live.

• Day-to-day repairs
• Communal cleaning
• Lighting of common parts
• Heating 
• Lift maintenance
• Management charge
• Maintenance of grounds / external common areas
• Shared TV aerials 
• Buildings Insurance 
• Door entry phones 
• Water pumps
• Window cleaning

What are Major Works?

In addition to your annual service charges we may also carry out major works which are usually works carried out where the cost to you is more than £250.00. These works are usually for larger items of expenditure such as replacement windows, electrical upgrades and external painting.

Can I Sublet my property?

It is possible to sublet your leasehold property although you will need to inform us so that we can still contact you in an emergency.

Click here for a link to our Subletting your Leasehold Property section.

How do I report a repair?

As a leaseholder you are responsible for the maintenance of the inside of your property and we are responsible for the structure and common parts. If you wish to report a repair in respect of the building please call our repairs helpline on 01992 453750

Click here for a link to our Repairs and Improvements page.

My neighbours are causing a nuisance, what can I do?

Please contact our Sustainable Communities Team who can advise you and investigate any neighbour issues you have.

Click here for a link to our Sustainable Communities page.

Do I have buildings Insurance?

We arrange building insurance and you contribute through your annual service charges.

Click here for a link to our Buildings Insurance section

How can I make payments?

You can make payments for your annual service charges quarterly or monthly by direct debit .

Click here for a link to our Making payments page.

Who can I contact about caretaking?

Our Community Rangers team deal with caretaking .

Click here for a link to our Community Ranger Service, providing 'better homes, better communities' page.

For a summary of your rights as a leaseholder please see the following link: Summary of rights - (PDF Document)