C&T Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Just read through the posts and I'm just wondering why you would buy a flat that wasn't leasehold? (unless of course you had the opportunity of joinly owning the freehold with the other owners through a management company) Surely you'd want to know that the other owners (and particularly your downstairs or upstairs neighbour) was accountable for the condition of the fabric of the building too? Perhaps I am very out of date...it's nearly 30 years since I had a leasehold property Agree - it's just when the leaseholder "takes the biscuit" with what they charge the occupents. For example, to paint one very small stairwell, in one block of 4 flats, they would have charged over £100 to all occupents of all flats in the road (another 4 blocks of 4 flats - £2k+ in total). And the quality of the work (going by previous examples) would have been shocking. Therefore, we did it ourselves, for the cost of a couple of tins of paint and a few rollers shared between the four of us. You often dont get any say in the work, or question the quotes, you just get very very large bills for work that often has no direct benefit to you, or is of very poor quality, or left incomplete - and you have no option but to pay. Not all lease holders for flats are terrible - but many seem to see it as a money making exercise, and it's that attitude that can make it difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I wouldn't have wanted to be personally responsible for the maintenance of the building no, but the fact that there was no sink fund for ongoing repairs, and that the amounts we were charged for shoddy work were so disproportionate, meant that we were being hit at least annually with a four figure bill for something or other. As far as we could tell, Hackney Council had decided that leaseholders were the goose that laid the golden egg, and we were subsidising all the work they were doing to qualify for Decent Homes grants from central government. We sold to a housing association, and I have to say it warms the cockles of my heart to think that they probably have a legal department to dispute the outrageous bills presented by Hackney. Back on topic, I would also be concerned about the conditions of the leasehold, specifically any restrictions on keeping chickens in your garden, parking vehicles out front etc etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
