Check who is responsible for repairs and maintenance

If you own a leasehold flat your lease should say which parts of the building you’re responsible for, and which are the responsibility of your landlord.

If you own a leasehold house rather than a flat, you’ll usually be responsible for all repairs and maintenance.

Usually you are responsible for repairs and maintenance inside your flat, such as repairs to:

• the internal walls, ceilings, plasterwork and floors
• plumbing and wiring inside your flat
• any pipes or wiring that only serve your flat – even if they’re partly outside your flat
• fitted kitchens and bathrooms
• windows and internal doors

But check the terms of your lease carefully, because leases can vary.

Your lease might require you to:

• repair any problems
• keep your flat in good condition, which may mean a higher standard than just repairing problems
• get your landlord’s permission for certain types of work, such as replacing windows

Your landlord (freeholder) will usually be responsible for:

• the roof
• the external walls
• communal areas, such as shared entrances, staircases or gardens
• shared facilities such as lifts or boilers
• pipes and wiring that serve the whole building

If you own a new build flat or house, it should be covered by a warranty from the developer for the first few years.

Normally the developer or warranty provider will be responsible for putting right:

• any defects in the first 2 years after the property was built, such as a fault with how the electrics, plumbing or windows were installed
• any major structural problems in the first 10 years, such as a serious problem with the foundations or roof

Check your warranty for the details of what’s covered and who to contact to report a problem.

Your landlord will charge all the leaseholders for repairs and maintenance through the service charge.

Your service charge will cover routine upkeep and, in some buildings, contributions to a reserve or sinking fund for major works.

If an unexpected repair is needed, you may be asked to pay an extra amount, unless the cost is already covered by the sinking fund or through the building’s insurance.

Your landlord will need to follow a procedure for consulting the leaseholders if a repair will cost any one leaseholder more than £250. This is called Section 20 consultation.

The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced protections for some leaseholders affected by the cost of remediating (fixing):

• unsafe cladding
• other historic safety defects
• safety measures related to a defect (such as a waking watch or interim fire alarm)

Find out more about when and how leaseholders have to pay for:

• remediation - buildings in England at least 11 metres high (or at least 5 storeys)
• remediation - buildings in England under 11 metres high (or under 5 storeys)
• remediation - buildings in Wales

You might be able to challenge your service charge if you’re asked to pay high repair costs that are caused by your landlord’s long-term failure to maintain your building (this is known as historic neglect).

You’d need to be able to show that the cost is higher than it would have been if your landlord had been maintaining the building properly.

It’s helpful to keep records, by reporting problems in writing, keeping copies of correspondence, taking photos and making notes. This can help to show if a problem was raised earlier and the cost has increased because the landlord did not maintain the building properly.

Find out more about challenging your service charge.