Repairs responsibilities for shared owners or leaseholders

As a home owner you are responsible for all repairs and day to day maintenance of your home. If you live in a flat, we are responsible for repairs and maintenance to communal areas such as corridors, stairways, communal entrances, TV aerials, lifts, roofs and gutters.

We will carry out the work, but you are responsible for covering the cost, either through your service charge or through a one-off payment.

The table below sets out responsibility for some typical repairs within a block of flats.

If you live in a house, you are fully responsible for all repairs and maintenance to the whole of your home, however, there are exceptions if your home is subject to the New Shared Ownership Model lease which you will have been advised of when you purchased it.

Type of repairOur responsibilityYour responsibility
Stopcocks in your flatNoYes
Communal water storage tanksYesNo
Water storage tanks in your flatNoYes
Windows in shared areasYesNo
Windows in flatsDepends on leaseDepends on lease
Doors to shared areasYesNo
Front door of your flatNoYes
Electricity supply inside your flatNoYes
RoofYesNo
External wallsYesNo
Plaster in shared areasYesNo
Plaster inside your flatNoYes
Decorating shared areasYesNo
Decorating inside your flatNoYes
Maintaining private gardensNoYes
Building insuranceYesNo
Contents insuranceNoYes