Buying or selling a leasehold property

When you sell the property you will be required to provide information to the purchaser. This will be part of the seller’s information pack. The information will usually include details on the expiry date of the lease, service charges, insurance, major works and any disputes. This information is available from the Council if you are unable to provide the information yourself and is normally requested by your solicitor.

If you need a fensa window/door certificate this can be obtained from the Fensa Certificate Register website. Certificate registration should have been carried out by the company who installed the windows/doors. On the website you can search by entering your postcode and house number and it will show certificates registered to your address. There is a cost to download the certificate.

Yes. There will be a charge for providing this information. In addition the Council will be required to provide the purchaser with information relating to likely service charge costs they can expect in the next few years.

We provide details of how much the service charge is and how much has been paid. Any outstanding amounts need to be paid as part of the sale. We do not get involved in how you agree with your buyer to settle the outstanding charges. Please note there may be money owed for the previous year that have not yet been invoiced.

The solicitor acting on behalf of the buyer should notify us and provide a copy of the assignment once the sale is completed.

The lease is a legal agreement between you ‘the leaseholder’ and the council.  It contains details of the flat and will normally include a plan showing your home, the building it is in, the estate the building is on and any garden, shed or garage included in the sale. The lease will also explain your and our rights and responsibilities. Because your flat is part of a block, you must pay a share of the costs of maintaining the building and any communal areas and services provided such as cleaning and lighting of corridors and stairways.

A standard lease is 125 years from when the property is first purchase under the Right to Buy (RTB).  When sold on the open market it will be the remaining number of years since the original purchase date (e.g. purchased under RTB in 2002, sold in 2013, years remaining = 114 years).

Leases for Thanet District Council are based on when the date the first lease was granted in the building and when this expires and any subsequent leases expire on the same date. These are called coterminous leases.

The costs to maintain the building and grounds around the building are called service charges and listed below are some of the services you would be likely to contribute towards.

• Ground rent
• Grounds maintenance and cleaning
• Routine repairs, services and maintenance
• Electricity charges for any shared areas, for example, lighting, power to lifts and door-entry systems
• Administration charges/Management fee
• Major works and improvements (eg replacing roofs, structural – these can result in very large service charge bills)
• Building insurance

We provide details of how much the service charge is and how much has been paid. Any outstanding amounts need to be paid as part of the sale. We do not get involved in how you agree with the person you are buying from how you will settle any outstanding charges. Please note there may be money owed for the previous year that have not yet been invoiced and these will be invoiced to you as the new owner of the property.

Your solicitor acting on your behalf should notify us and provide a copy of the assignment once the sale is completed.

The buildings insurance policy covers your flat and the block it is in. You must pay your share of this insurance.  The buildings insurance policy does not cover your furniture or personal belongings.  So in addition to this you must make your own arrangements to insure these items (contents insurance).

Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) – The Leasehold Advisory Service provides free advice on the law affecting residential leasehold properties.