As a homeowner you’ll be responsible for any repairs inside your home where they are not covered by a warranty, and those to services which exclusively serve your home (such as supply pipes/cables and sewerage runs). Your lease will set out what is your responsibility, and what is not your responsibility.
You may find that some repairs are covered by the buildings insurance policy or a warranty on new-build properties, if not they will be your responsibility to repair. If you need to make a claim on an insurance policy or warranty please refer to the sections about Insurance and Warranties.
Houses
If you live in a house this will normally include everything within the boundary of the property, including the structure of the building itself, the garden, and any external structures like sheds or garages (but not including communal parts of a wider estate).
Your lease will often have a plan which indicates which boundary fences are your responsibility to maintain; if not, you may need to discuss with your neighbours to agree how to fund any necessary repairs.
Flats
If you live in a flat then we would be responsible for repairs to the communal areas, lifts and alarm systems, or the structure of the building and any services which serve multiple properties; the cost of those repairs would be recharged through your service charge and shared between the residents in the building liable to contribute.
You would be responsible for any repairs inside your flat, or to any services which exclusively serve your flat. You should check your lease to confirm, but usually this would mean you are responsible for window glazing and locks, plumbing leaks from pipework exclusively serving your flat (including where they run over communal areas), and any wiring exclusively servicing your flat (including that for a communal satellite system or your own door entry system).
If you have any questions about whether a repair is covered please contact us with the details of the repair required, we’ll arrange for someone to check your lease and respond to you with more information.
My boiler has broken down
As a leaseholder your boiler is your responsibility to maintain (unless it’s part of a communal heating system maintained as part of your service charge), which means that you would need to get your own qualified engineer to investigate. If your boiler is still under warranty you may be able to claim on that.
If you suspect that you have a gas leak you must contact the National Gas Emergency Helpline on 0800 111 999.
Can I claim for any repairs on the buildings insurance
If you want to investigate making a claim you need to contact our Home Ownership Team, we’ll need to understand what has happened, the extent of any damage, and whether any other properties are affected. The insurance will normally only cover repairs where damage is caused by an insurable event, such as storms and water leaks.
Please refer to our Buildings Insurance section for more information.
