What am I responsible for?
You will be responsible for paying your rent, service charge, council tax, contents nsurance and any other charges, on time. Your shared ownership lease outlines what we must do as the landlord and what you must do as the leaseholder. The Home Ownership Department will contact you six weeks after moving in to check that everything is running smoothly in your new home.
Rent
You will have paid rent to cover your first month in your new home. You will then be responsible for paying your rent on time each month. The rent you pay is based on the percentage share that we retain of your home. We review rents every year. Any increases are in line with the retail price index (RPI) plus a set percentage (details of which are in your lease).
If you have difficulties paying your mortgage, rent or service charge, please contact your Home Ownership Officer and mortgage lender as soon as possible. We can help you with the best course of action. Please be aware that if you do not make mortgage, rent and/or service charge payments you could lose your home.
Service charges
Each month you will pay a charge that covers the cost of providing services to the development. Full details of which services are covered will be detailed in your contract pack – however on apartments this will normally include maintenance, cleaning and lighting any communal areas. You will be advised annually how the service charges have been spent. We’ll notify you of any proposals to carry out major maintenance or repair work. Service charges are reviewed annually.
Repairs and maintenance
Our new build properties all benefit from a defects guarantee which will be for a fixed period – normally 12 months from the date that Hightown owns the property. During this period you will need to keep a record of any faults you discover so they can be reported at your defects inspection. You will be responsible for repairing and maintaining your home after the initial defects period has passed.
If you want to carry out improvements or alterations to your property, you must get our written permission first. You don’t need our permission for simple redecorations and repairs. You can contact your Home Ownership Officer if you’re in any doubt. You will be responsible for ensuring that any gas appliances, such as cookers, boilers and fires are checked and serviced at least once a year. This is important for your health and safety. The service must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
