Frequently asked questions for Leaseholders

Leaseholders can find the answers to frequently asked questions in the section below:

General questions

I am sub-letting my property and didn’t realise I needed permission from the Council.

Technically this means you are in breach of your lease. Contact the Leasehold Team (Trevor or Sarah) and request a “Permission to Sub-let” form. There is currently a charge for permission to sub-let set at £10 and once this has been paid you will receive a form. Read the accompanying notes, complete and sign the form and then send it back to us. We will then confirm by letter when permission has been granted.

Who are the leasehold team?

The leasehold team consists of Trevor and Sarah. Both work part time. Please also be aware that they are particularly busy in the period leading up to the production of the Estimate of Service Charges and Certified Summaries.

I have reported a problem with my property, and no one has got back to me?

All repairs must be logged via our contact centre. If you have logged your call with them and no one has got back to you, please contact them again on 01509 634666.

I sub-let my property and my tenant doesn’t have Contents Insurance and refuses to get cover.

We would suggest that when the tenancy agreement is up for renewal, you add to the agreement that Contents Insurance is required. It is a condition stated on the lease that all leaseholders have Contents Insurance.

My roof does not need replacing, so why are the council replacing it?

The council are only allowed to charge a leaseholder for the cost of replacing a roof if it now near the end of its life and the cost of repairs is proving significant, particularly if there has been a history of leaks. 

I want to discuss my daughter’s property.

Due to data protection regulations, we cannot give any information to a relative/friend without an authorisation form being completed by you the Leaseholder.  If it’s just one off via a phone call, we will ask you to give us permission and then we will discuss further with the person you want us to talk with. 

Why am I receiving my Estimates and Certified Summaries via email?

We are sending the Estimates and Certified Summaries out using a current email address we hold for you as this is a preferred method by the majority of leaseholders.  If you do not wish to receive the above by email, please contact us and we will amend our mailing list.

Questions on FD30 Doors

Can Charnwood Borough Council inspect the door as I don’t know whether it is FD30 compliant or not?

Yes, we offer a facility where our contractor Harmony will attend site and carry out a BM Trada 24-point fire door health check and provide a report, the cost of this service is £75.13. Please contact the leasehold team if you want to take up this service.

Can you replace our Front Door for us?

Yes, we can fit a new door on your behalf as part of our general programme of replacing tenants’ doors; and

• the normal [‘S.20’] statutory consultation process will not be necessary since we will be acting upon your request for us to do the work;
• the cost to you is likely to be less than if you were to do the work yourself as we will be able to offer you our discounted contractor rate;
• you will be able to pay for the cost over twelve months in twelve equal instalments and at no additional cost;
• all compliance certifications will be handled by us; and so you can rest assured that you will have a completely legally-compliant door set;
• you will be responsible for the maintenance of your door as if you had done the replacement yourself once the work has been completed;
• replacement will take place as part of our programme to replace tenants’ doors and we will advise you separately when the work will be done.

What are the costs for replacing my door?

The average cost to replace a front door with a composite FD30S Door set (door and frame) is around £3,500.00 and in addition an asbestos survey would also be required at an estimated cost of £95.30 (as at March 22, 2023).

The Council are replacing front doors within the block. Can I have one and do I get a choice of what door I would like?

As previously mentioned, we can facilitate this and currently offer a choice of four doors with or without glazing.       

Are there any checks I should carry out on my fire door?

Yes, you should carry out regular checks on your fire door and we advise that you should consider the following:

• that there is no visible damage (either deliberate or from wear & tear) to the door (including glazing if fitted), the door frame or the door closer.
• if there are any gaps around the door frame and that seals, hinges and door furniture are secure and fitted correctly.
• that the door closer shuts the door and that the door closes correctly around the whole frame.

If any issues or damage is identified from these checks, it might be appropriate to engage with an accredited person/ company.

Questions on Section 20 Notices

Why am I receiving these letters?

Previously we had one company that managed our Decent Homes contract which meant that Charnwood Borough Council would give one company the programme of work and they would organise and carry out the work. This meant that we only needed to send Section 20 Notices for Qualifying long-term agreements every 5 years.  We are no longer operating this way, so you are currently receiving Section 20 Notice letters for Qualifying Long-term agreements informing you of:

• Our Notice of intention to change a contractor who provides a service such as scaffolding, Fire Risk Assessment Work, Major structural works, roof repairs, communal decoration, windows/doors .
• Our Notice of Proposal this informs you that we have awarded the contract to…….

How much is this going to cost me?

The letters you have received under Qualifying Long-Term agreements mean we are changing a contractor.  When we send you a letter called a Notice of Intention to carry out work, this will be us informing you of work we are going to carry out and the estimated costs.

Please can you stop sending me these letters?

We have to send these letters out to you as part of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002.