Repairs and maintenance of your home

Some costs might be covered by the building warranty, or by the landlord if your home has an initial repair period. Check the “Key Information Document” or ask the landlord to find out if this applies to you.

In some schemes, for example, Home Ownership for people with Long-term Disability (HOLD), the housing association may do your repairs. You will still need to pay for them. Check your lease to find out if this applies to you.

A building warranty usually covers the cost of structural repairs to a new-build for the first 10 to 12 years. If you buy a home through a shared ownership resale, any remaining period on the building warranty will transfer to you.

If there’s no warranty or it has expired, repair costs are shared between you and other flat leaseholders if the reserve fund does not cover them.

You’ll still need to pay service charges for maintaining the building and common parts.

If you bought a shared ownership home from 2021, your lease may have a 10 year “initial repair period” where the landlord pays for some repairs to the building.

The period only applies if you own less than 100% of the property. It ends when you own 100%, even if that happens before the end of 10 years.

During the initial repair period, the landlord will need to pay for the cost of some repairs and cannot:

• use the reserve fund (sinking fund) to pay for repairs that are their responsibility
• use the service charge to pay for external and structural repairs

After the initial repair period ends, you are responsible for all repairs.

You’ll still need to pay the service charge for maintaining the building and common parts.

Repairs included in an initial repair period

During the initial repair period, the landlord is responsible for the cost of:

• essential repairs to the outside of the building
• essential structural repairs to walls, floors, ceiling and stairs inside your home

You can claim up to £500 a year from the landlord to cover repairing, replacing (if faulty) and maintaining fixtures and fittings that:

• supply water, gas or electricity - for example sinks, baths or pipes
• heat your home, for example, a boiler or radiator

If you do not claim the £500 annual allowance in one year, it does not roll over to the next year.

You can paint, decorate and refurbish a shared ownership home without permission, for example, replace a kitchen or bathroom. Your landlord is not responsible for this.

It’s better to get permission if you want to make sure that any increase in your home’s value resulting from improvements is excluded from the staircasing valuation.

You might need written permission from your landlord to make structural changes such as changing your front door or any changes to the internal walls.

Check with your landlord what you need permission for.