Leasehold Rights and Responsibilities
When Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council grants the lease of a property under the Right to Buy scheme, the council continues to provide landlord services via First Choice Homes Oldham.
Council flats and maisonettes are usually sold on a 125 year lease. The lease is a contract between you and the Council.
Common terms used in the lease include:
- Leaseholder or Lessee: The owner of the flat or maisonette
- Lessor: The Council
- Demised Premises: “What is yours” – The internal shell of the flat or maisonette which you have bought
The Council continues to own the block, including the exterior structure of your flat or maisonette, and so remains responsible for the maintenance of all shared parts and services. These shared facilities include things such as caretaking, lighting and cleaning, and may vary from block to block.
The Council is entitled to a contribution from the owners of flats and maisonettes towards the costs of managing and maintaining the block.
Our Leaseholders Handbook
We have provided a Leaseholders Handbook (PDF 830KB) explaining the roles and responsiblities of the Council and the Lessee and an explanation of the services you will still receive from the Council.
What you should do as a leaseholder
The exact details are set out in your lease. Generally you should:
- Not sub-let, without giving notice in writing to the Council
- Pay a proportion of the Council’s costs of managing the block
- Pay the ground rent
- Pay your share of the block insurance
- Keep your home in good repair and condition
- Use your home only as a single private property for residential use (unless you get consent from the Council)
- Not cause annoyance or inconvenience to your neighbours
- Not make any structural alterations to your property without written consent from the Council (this includes replacing windows and external doors)
- Repay any discount which is repayable if you sell the property
- Not keep pets
- Not bring bottled petroleum, gas or any other potentially explosive material into your property or anywhere in the building
- Not carry on any trade or business from your flat or maisonette without prior consent from the Council
What the Council has to do
The Council’s obligations are set out in the lease. They generally include:
- Keeping the structure of the building in good repair and condition
- Consulting you before doing any major works to the building
- Arranging property insurance for the block
The Council has the right to:
- Run and maintain electricity cables, water or gas pipes from any part of the estate or block through your property
- Enter and remain in your home for any reasonable period to carry out any works to the common parts or structure. It should give you reasonable notice but can enter immediately in an emergency
- Extend or carry out alterations to the block
Click here for information about House Title Deeds
Leasehold Ownership
Leasehold Ownership is simply a long tenancy, the right to live in a flat for a period of time.
Leasehold Ownership usually includes everything within the four walls of the flat - such as floorboards and plaster - but does not normally include external or structural walls. The building's structure and the land it stands on belongs to the landlord (the Council).
The lease itself is a private contract between the leaseholder and the landlord, which sets out what is expected of both parties.
Further Information
If you are a leaseholder, or if you are interested in becoming a leaseholder, you will find a lot of useful information on the website of the Leasehold Advisory Service, which is funded by the Government to provide free legal advice to leaseholders, landlords, professional advisers, managers and others on the law affecting residential leasehold and commonhold.
Contact Details
For more information please email: fcho.homeowners@oldham.gov.uk