Information for shared owners and leaseholders
In this section we’ve pulled together links to all the main articles and information that you might need if you’re a shared owner or leaseholder.
It includes key topics such as what your lease will cover, what you’re responsible for as a leaseholder and what things are Sovereign’s responsibilities, as well as a glossary of leasehold terms you may come across.
It also explains what you need to know about altering and improving your home, how major works are arranged and paid for, and the rules around subletting your home or extending your lease. There’s also more information about Sovereign’s buildings insurance cover.
If you live in a leasehold flat, you may be interested in our ‘who’s who’ guide to the different roles of those involved in running a block.
There are also articles on EPC or energy performance certificates and about cladding, the external wall system of blocks and EWS1 surveys and forms.
If you’re a shared owner, you can also find out how to buy more shares in your home (also known as staircasing) and how to sell your home (including how to take great photos of it to show it off to potential buyers).
Sovereign's responsibilities
Sovereign’s responsible for repairing and maintaining the main structure and outside of your building - plus any shared parts and shared services (such as if you live in a flat).
Your responsibilities as a leaseholder
As a leaseholder, you’re responsible for looking after everything inside your home. Find out more about what this means – including things you need to tell us about or ask permission for.
Major works
Find out how we carry out major works (such as renewing a roof) and recharge leaseholders for their share of the costs through service charges. This page also explains Section 20 consultations.
About your lease
This page explains a bit more about what a lease is and what it covers. But there can be key differences, so it’s important you understand your own lease and the conditions in it.
Subletting your home - the rules
If you’re thinking of subletting your home, the first step is to check if your lease allows this. If it does, this page explains the information you’ll need to provide.
Extending your lease
More about who has the right to extend their lease, the conditions they must satisfy and some important points to be aware of around getting legal advice, timescales and likely costs.
Buying more shares in your home
If you’d like to buy more of your home (also known as staircasing), we can guide you through the process. This page explains all the main steps involved.
Can I alter or improve my home?
So that we can check any building safety or planning implications, you may need our permission for things like an extension, satellite dish, new heating, electrics, windows or external works.
Selling with the shared ownership scheme
All about the process and conditions and how you can sell your share on the open market if we haven’t found you a buyer within a certain length of time.