Leasehold services

Q: Doesn’t my building’s insurance cover repair costs?
A: Your building’s insurance charge is the cost we pass on to you for insuring the building in which your property is situated. It does not automatically pay for repair costs. However, you may make a claim against your insurance policy for repair items. Bear in mind that if a repair item is performed due to normal wear and tear, your claim is unlikely to be successful. We are unable to raise a claim on your behalf as the policy will be in your name. Making insurance claims will not directly raise your insurance charge. Regardless of the outcome of your claim, we would expect leaseholders to pay the amounts indicated when their service charge bill arrives.

Q: How do I make an insurance claim?
A: Details are given on the covering letter of all repair statements that are issued.

Q: How are the charges calculated?
A: Repair costs are calculated using the National Housing Association’s Schedule of Rates, which is a nationally agreed set of rates for repair work. The charges are then divided by the amount of properties in the block or charged against the dwelling as per the terms of your lease.

Q: Why do I receive a repair statement every quarter?
A: We aim to send you a repair statement every quarter in order to allow you to budget for the repair’s element of your next service charge bill. By giving a running total, we are giving you advance notice of future costs. It is also helpful for leaseholders wishing to claim on their building’s insurance policy.

Q: Do I have to pay the amounts on the statement now?
A: No – it is for information only. When your service charge bill arrives, it will include an element for completed repairs. This will include all costs that appeared in your first three quarters’ statements plus the costs for the final quarter.

Q: Why do I have to contribute towards repair costs for areas that I don’t use?
A: Your lease agreement states that the leaseholder must contribute towards costs incurred by us for repairs carried out to the property, the building and any associated common parts. These costs are apportioned regardless of any declared or implied benefit to any one property. Therefore, for example, we charge a ground floor flat the same as a top floor flat for roof repairs. The ability to recover repair costs is an important condition in granting the lease, and this should have been explained by your solicitor during the purchasing of the property.

Q: What do I do if I have a dispute on items on my statement?
A: Please email us onhome_ownership@sandwell.gov.uk with the details of your query and the applicable defect number(s). We will then raise your query with our Repairs section to obtain more information, after which we will contact you with the outcome as soon as possible.

Q: What should I do if I am unhappy with the outcome of a repair query?
A: Once you have received a response from us, the query process ends. Unless any further information comes to light or is provided by you that may alter the decision, we will not consider reopening your query. If you require independent advice, please contact the Leasehold Advisory Service on 020 7832 2500 or your local Citizen’s Advice. In the meantime, we would expect payment for the item(s) in question, and any non-payment of your repair’s element will be pursued in the same way as any other non-payment of service charges. You may also approach the First Tier Tribunal, which is an independent body charged with resolving disputes between leaseholders and their freeholders. Regardless of whether a formal challenge has been raised, we would expect payment for the item(s) in question, and any non-payment of your repair’s element will be pursued in the same way as any other non-payment of service charges.