Information for Leaseholders
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Information for Leaseholders
This page aims to provide answers to common questions relating to home ownership. The information provided here is only a guide and will not cover everything.
It should be noted that whilst the Home Ownership Team are happy to offer advice and guidance, you may also need to seek independent advice from either your solicitor, law centre or local Citizens Advice Bureau.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I rent my property out?
- Will you buy my home back from me?
- How do I sell my home?
- Can I carry out home improvements?
- Can I Keep Pets?
- What can I do if I think the service charges are unreasonable?
- Can I get my own Buildings Insurance?
1. Can I rent my property out?
Your lease will state whether you may sub-let your property. Some leases allow sub-letting with our permission, whilst other leases do not allow sub-letting.
However, Yorkshire Housing will consider any request from a leaseholder to sub-let on their individual merits and allow a “relaxation” of the clause within the lease, for a stipulated time.
If you are considering sub-letting your property then look at your lease or contact the Home Ownership Team for guidance and assistance.
2. Will you buy my home back from me?
Yorkshire Housing have no legal obligation to buy back properties but will consider any request from homeowners to determine whether we will buy back your property.
When considering any request we will require details about your personal and financial circumstances and whether funding is available; we will also refer to your lease before advising you whether Yorkshire Housing will buy back your property.
For a shared owner we may consider that decreasing the share that you own may be a viable option rather than buying back the whole share.
If you are facing financial difficulties then please contact the Home Ownership Team to discuss the options that may be available.
3. How do I sell my home?
Your lease will stipulate how you can sell your property and the conditions you are required to meet. In most cases, you are required to notify Yorkshire Housing that you are selling your property
For further information please read our page on selling your home.
If you are unsure whether your property requires a valuation prior to the sale proceeding, you should refer to your lease or, if you want to use the valuation services provided by one of our partners, please contact the Home Ownership Team.
4. Can I carry out home improvements?
Generally you are able to carry out minor works such as putting up shelves or decorating without our permission.
If you intend to carry out major works such as taking down or putting up a wall or building an extension, etc, you may require our written permission and you should contact us before spending any money on improvements of that nature.
You will also need to ensure that any major works are carried out by a reputable builder and comply with all necessary building regulations and local authority planning requirements. Additionally, any works that change the gas or electrical fittings must be certified that the changes comply with current regulations and certification must also be provided once the works are complete.
If you carry out improvements without our permission you may find that you cannot sell your property if permission for major works was not provided by Yorkshire Housing.
5. Can I Keep Pets?
Generally your lease will stipulate whether domestic pets are allowed at your property. However, Yorkshire Housing are quite happy to relax this covenant providing complaints are not received from other residents about the behavior of your pets or your failure to ensure that your pets do not foul in the communal areas.
Permission must always be requested before bringing a pet into your home.
6. What can I do if I think the service charges are unreasonable?
When your service charge is reviewed, Yorkshire Housing gives full details of how your service charge is calculated. In calculating your service charge Yorkshire Housing must comply with the terms of your lease and if you believe that service charges are unreasonable then we would like you to speak to us so that we can provide a full explanation that will make you understand the charges more fully.
If we have made a mistake with your service charge calculation then we will take steps to rectify it, so it is important that you contact us first to discuss the issue that you have raised.
When we review your service charge, we also include a document that provides guidance to Leaseholders on how to challenge the service charge.
As a Leaseholder, if you still believe the service charge to be unreasonable, you have the right to take your case to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal (LVT), an independent body that provides an accessible and relatively informal way to resolve residential leasehold disputes.
7. Can I get my own Buildings Insurance?
If you reside in a flat, the lease stipulates that the Landlord will provide Buildings Insurance and the premiums payable for Buildings Insurance are included in your service charge. You are also provided with the copy of the Summary of cover and details of how your premium is calculated.
However, if you are a shared owner or leaseholder of a house, you are now able to obtain your own Buildings Insurance, providing the Insurance schedule is approved by Yorkshire Housing beforehand.
For further information please contact the Home Ownership Team.