Leaseholder Responsibilties

As a leaseholder you have certain responisbilities to East Kent Housing and we, likewise, have responsibilities to you. Here is a brief overview of the main obligations contained within your lease.

You (the leaseholder) agree:

  • to pay the ground rent and service charges on time in the manner detailed in the lease
  • not to alter the property without your council's consent, this includes changing your front door (front doors must conform to fire regulations)
  • not to sublet the property to a tenant without informing the Council
  • to keep the interior of the premises clean and to maintain in good working repair any of the services that apply only to the premises
  • to pay expenses for any fees or charges made in connection with the property, eg. surveyors, accounts for management or maintenance or the collection of the ground rent. These people may be our own staff. This is included in the service charge
  • to allow us to inspect the property inside and out following adequate notice stating this intention
  • to allow us entry to repair any adjoining property or maintain any common services, following receipt of adequate notice of this intention
  • to repair any defects within the specified timescale following receipt of a notice from us
  • if repairs are not carried out, to allow us to enter the property, carry out those repairs and then charge you for the work carried out. We will provide estimates before carrying out such works
  • not to cause a nuisance to adjoining occupiers or to use the property for illegal/immoral purposes
  • not to do anything which would make our insurers refuse to pay out on any claim which we might wish to make.

We agree:

  • to allow you to live in the property, provided that the ground rent is paid and that you have kept all your promises
  • to keep the structure of the property insured. Note: There is no need for you to pay additional building insurance, for instance, through your Building Society. However, personal and home contents are not covered by our policy and it is important that you purchase adequate contents insurance
  • repair, redecorate and renew the main structure of the building and the services which it uses, together with the common parts, you the leaseholder being responsible for a reasonable share of the cost.

Ending your lease

Each lease contains a provision that allows us to end your lease if you break some of the conditions, for example, if you do not pay the service charge or ground rent.

If we consider you have broken the conditions of your lease we will write to you to explain how you are breaking the conditions and what you must do to put it right. If you continue to break the conditions of your lease we may ask the court to end your lease. We will only do this as a last resort.

The Court will ask us to prove that:
• You have broken the conditions of your lease, and
• It is reasonable for you to lose your home.

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