Your lease is a legally binding agreement between you and us.

It sets out what we both need to do to make things run smoothly. By signing it, you agree to follow the terms and conditions outlined within it.

Below are some key points you need to know.

  • Allow you to live in your home without interference, as long as you uphold the lease terms.
  • Insure the structure of the building, but not its contents. Insurance costs are passed onto you through the service charge.
  • If you pay rent towards the cost of your home, please pay on time and in the approved ways, along with any service charges
  • Get our written permission before making any alterations or additions (except for general decoration)
  • Get our approval before keeping pets in your home
  • Use your home as a private residence only
  • Allow us to inspect your home with prior notice
  • Get our written permission before selling or transferring ownership of your home
  • Avoid doing anything that could affect the building insurance policy.

Under the terms of your lease, it’s important that you obtain our permission before you carry out any home adaptations.

If you intend to make structural changes, we'll also need to see detailed plans along with building or planning regulation approvals before consent can be given for the work to start.

A Licence for Alterations will also need to be drawn up. If you don't get consent and the licence you'll be breaking the conditions of your lease and you'll risk losing your home.

Some minor alterations to your property are considered as repairs and maintenance rather than home improvements.

We must consult you about any changes that we might want to make to your lease.

Generally, no changes can be made without your permission. You have the right to stay in your home until the end of your lease so long as you keep to the conditions set out in it and pay all the charges due.

If you have lost or mislaid your lease, the original solicitor that acted for you on your purchase should be able to provide you with a copy or you can download one from the Land Registry.

We can also obtain a copy for you, please contact us for confirmation of our charge for this.

If you are a leasehold or shared owner, it is worth checking to see how many years remain on your lease. 

This is especially important if you bought your home during the 1980s or early 1990s, or if you have recently purchased your home from an existing owner without your lease being extended at the same time. 

Extending your lease can be quite straightforward. Please get in touch with us to find out more.

You can also find out more information through the Leasehold Advisory Service website. This website contains a lease extension calculator, which will provide you with a cost guide.

We’re here to help you stay in your home, but it’s important to understand that certain actions could put your lease at risk. These include:

  • Not paying your rent or service charges
  • Breaking the terms of your lease
  • Giving false information when applying for your property.

This process is called lease forfeiture, and it’s only ever used as a last resort. We’ll always do our best to work with you and explore all other options first.

If you need support or aren’t sure about something, we’re always here to help.

Subletting is covered in the terms of your lease, which will explain what is and isn’t allowed.

If you’re unsure about anything or need clarification, please contact us — we’re here to help.

If you want to remove someone from the lease, you will need to provide us with a copy of certified identification for that person. We will also need your mortgage lender to provide written consent and a copy of the new mortgage offer (if applicable), plus a redemption statement.

If you wish to add someone to the lease, we will need copy of certified identification for that person, a copy of the new mortgage offer in joint names and a redemption statement from your current lender.

We have no objections to you borrowing extra money on your mortgage to buy out your partner’s share, but we will need written confirmation from your solicitor that the additional borrowing is solely for this purpose.

In your will, you can specify who will take over your lease after your death. If you die without a will, your lease will pass to your next of kin. We recommend seeking legal advice when preparing a will.

If you divorce or separate from a partner on a joint lease, you must inform us and agree with your mortgage lender who will take over the property. If no agreement is reached, a court will decide or order the sale of the property. A solicitor will need to handle this for you.

Note that if the lease includes a restricted clause, the property may not be transferable. Please contact us for more details.

Our responsibilities
  • Allow you to live in your home without interference, as long as you uphold the lease terms.
  • Insure the structure of the building, but not its contents. Insurance costs are passed onto you through the service charge.
Your responsibilities
  • If you pay rent towards the cost of your home, please pay on time and in the approved ways, along with any service charges
  • Get our written permission before making any alterations or additions (except for general decoration)
  • Get our approval before keeping pets in your home
  • Use your home as a private residence only
  • Allow us to inspect your home with prior notice
  • Get our written permission before selling or transferring ownership of your home
  • Avoid doing anything that could affect the building insurance policy.
Adapting and improving your home

Under the terms of your lease, it’s important that you obtain our permission before you carry out any home adaptations.

If you intend to make structural changes, we'll also need to see detailed plans along with building or planning regulation approvals before consent can be given for the work to start.

A Licence for Alterations will also need to be drawn up. If you don't get consent and the licence you'll be breaking the conditions of your lease and you'll risk losing your home.

Some minor alterations to your property are considered as repairs and maintenance rather than home improvements.

Changes to your lease

We must consult you about any changes that we might want to make to your lease.

Generally, no changes can be made without your permission. You have the right to stay in your home until the end of your lease so long as you keep to the conditions set out in it and pay all the charges due.

If you have lost or mislaid your lease, the original solicitor that acted for you on your purchase should be able to provide you with a copy or you can download one from the Land Registry.

We can also obtain a copy for you, please contact us for confirmation of our charge for this.

Lease extension

If you are a leasehold or shared owner, it is worth checking to see how many years remain on your lease. 

This is especially important if you bought your home during the 1980s or early 1990s, or if you have recently purchased your home from an existing owner without your lease being extended at the same time. 

Extending your lease can be quite straightforward. Please get in touch with us to find out more.

You can also find out more information through the Leasehold Advisory Service website. This website contains a lease extension calculator, which will provide you with a cost guide.

Lease forfeiture

We’re here to help you stay in your home, but it’s important to understand that certain actions could put your lease at risk. These include:

  • Not paying your rent or service charges
  • Breaking the terms of your lease
  • Giving false information when applying for your property.

This process is called lease forfeiture, and it’s only ever used as a last resort. We’ll always do our best to work with you and explore all other options first.

If you need support or aren’t sure about something, we’re always here to help.
Subletting and lodgers

Subletting is covered in the terms of your lease, which will explain what is and isn’t allowed.

If you’re unsure about anything or need clarification, please contact us — we’re here to help.

Transferring your lease

If you want to remove someone from the lease, you will need to provide us with a copy of certified identification for that person. We will also need your mortgage lender to provide written consent and a copy of the new mortgage offer (if applicable), plus a redemption statement.

If you wish to add someone to the lease, we will need copy of certified identification for that person, a copy of the new mortgage offer in joint names and a redemption statement from your current lender.

We have no objections to you borrowing extra money on your mortgage to buy out your partner’s share, but we will need written confirmation from your solicitor that the additional borrowing is solely for this purpose.

In your will, you can specify who will take over your lease after your death. If you die without a will, your lease will pass to your next of kin. We recommend seeking legal advice when preparing a will.

If you divorce or separate from a partner on a joint lease, you must inform us and agree with your mortgage lender who will take over the property. If no agreement is reached, a court will decide or order the sale of the property. A solicitor will need to handle this for you.

Note that if the lease includes a restricted clause, the property may not be transferable. Please contact us for more details.