Leaseholders live in flats where they own the leasehold of the flat but the freehold of the block belongs to Cannock Chase Council.  When you buy a leasehold flat you sign a contract called a lease.  The lease explains your rights and responsibilities and the rights and responsibilities of your landlord.  You are the leaseholder and Cannock Chase Council is the landlord.  Not all leases are the same.  Your own lease will give you details that apply to you and your home.

The Council has published a leaseholder handbook which provides information on the following

• Your lease - rights and responsibilities
• Repairs and improvements
• Insurance
• Service charge cycle
• Selling or letting out your flat
• Collective enfranchisement (buying the freehold)
• Extending your lease
• Service standards
• Disputes, disagreements and complaints
• Useful contacts

You should, however, remember that the handbook is only a guide.  It is not meant to give a full interpretation of your lease or the law.  If you require specific information about your own particular situation, we recommend that you seek independent legal advice.

Please see below:

Under the terms of your lease you are required to pay a service charge.  Your service charge is the money you pay towards the day-to-day running costs of the block in which your flat is situated aswell as your share of any major repairs/improvements.  We also charge management and administration costs.  This charge reflects the cost of managing and administering the services we provide, raising service charge bills, etc. 

We also arrange buildings insurance on your behalf.  The cost of this is included in your annual service charge.  To keep your insurance valid you need to let us know of any changes to your property that might affect your policy, eg. you let your home to tenants. You may not be able to claim on your insurance if we are not told about these changes as they happen.  Please remember that it is your responsibility to arrange contents insurance cover (ie. your own possessions). 

Every year in April - at the start of our financial year, we will send you an invoice for the estimated service charge and ground rent for the year ahead.  (The ground rent is the money you pay to Cannock Chase Council for your right to occupy the land as the leaseholder of the building).  Details as to how to make payments will accompany the invoice.

Cannock Chase Council must tell you if they want to do major work that is likely to cost more than £1,000 per block”, “or if the amount any one leaseholder will have to pay towards qualifying work is more than £250”

The service charge year ends on 31 March.  Cannock Chase Council will send you a statement showing what it has spent on your property each September.  If the Council has spent more on your property than it had estimated you will be sent an invoice for the difference, if it has spent less, you will be sent a refund unless you are in the reference period (the first five years from when the lease was first purchased) in which case the account will not be settled until the end of the five year period.  If you think your service charge is unreasonable please let us know and we will check the charges.  If we have made a mistake we will put it right.  If the charge is correct we will explain why.

Cannock Chase Council is responsible for the repair and maintenance of the structure, the exterior and communal areas of your block.

This includes:

• Structural walls
• Guttering and roofs
• Foundations
• External decorations
• Window frames (but not the glass)
• Chimneys
• Communal grounds
• Drying areas
• External doors - this includes front doors to flats
• Drains, within the curtilage of the property
• Communal doors
• Communal stairways
• Door entry system, if fitted
• Shared Waste and soil pipes
• Communal lighting

The Council also owns and maintains the following:

• The pipes supplying the mains water from the relevant water company's stopcock in individual flats
• Gas pipes within the block, up to but not including the gas meter
• Wiring for any communal TV aerial within the block, up to and including the aerial socket.

How to report a repair

There are several ways to report a repair.

• By phone on 01543 462621 - Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
• In person - at the Civic Centre (Main Reception) Beecroft Road, Cannock, Staffordshire, WS11 1BG
• By letter - send written details of your repair problem to the Housing Maintenance Manager
• To any Housing Officer (when they call)
• By email - Housingrepairs@cannockchasedc.gov.uk

When you are reporting a repair, please make sure that you include your unique property reference, the address at which the repair is needed, access arrangements and a contact phone number.

Emergencies

If an emergency occurs and you need to call us outside of normal office hours, please ring 01543 462621.

Repair priorities

When you report a repair it will be given one of the following priorities.

Priority 1 - Emergency repairs (same day)
Priority 2 - Urgent repairs (within three working days)
Priority 3 - Essential repairs (within five working days)
Priority 4 - Routine repairs (within 38 days)

Repairs appointments

Wherever possible we will try to offer an appointment for your repair work to be undertaken or inspected.  We can offer four appointment slots:

• am
• pm
• All day or
• Between school run

The repairs appointment system will give a choice of dates when an employee with the required skill is available within the priority deadline.  If for some unexpected reason we find we cannot keep our appointment with you, we will contact you and give you the next alternative appointment date that is convenient to you. 

If you find for some reason you cannot make your appointment, please contact the Repairs Reporting Centre on 01543 456816 as soon as possible to rearrange it.  We would much rather you call us, even if it is just before we send an employee out to your home, than not at all.

This is a survey orientated repair programme which may include:

• External/communal redecoration
• Rainwater pipes and gutter replacements
• Repointing brickwork
• Roof repairs
• Chimney repairs

We will tell you in writing in early April if your property is one included in the external works programme for that year, giving details of the proposed work and the estimated cost.

Permission to carry out your own improvements

You can redecorate internally in your flat without permission but you must not carry out any alterations without written permission.

Some examples of when you would need our permission would be:

• Renewal of front doors
• Removing walls
• Installation of new windows
• Satellite dish
• Changing the internal layout of the flat
• Roofspace - you have no right to carry out any repairs or improvements within the roofspace and you have no right of entry into the roofspace without permission.

To obtain the necessary permission to carry out any type of improvement you need to contact us (in writing).  You should include as much detail as possible.  If you do not obtain our permission   your buildings insurance cover may be invalid.

If you live in a flat, you will live closer to your neighbours than other people in houses and you may share communal areas.  Living so close together means that you must show consideration to your neighbours concerning noise, cleaning and using the entry phone system.

Noise

Noise travels easily between flats and you can annoy neighbours without realising it, so please keep your radio, stereo and television down to a reasonable level, especially late at night.  Children playing on the communal areas can also have a serious effect on a large number of people and spoil the enjoyment of their home.

Communal areas

In blocks of flats with communal entrances, we are responsible for looking after the communal lighting, redecorating and maintenance of the communal areas (although we recover the cost of doing so through the service charge) but, residents are jointly responsible for cleaning the stairs, landings, foyers, etc. 

Rubbish

Please use the bin facilities provided.  If you have any bulky items to dispose of you should contact us on 01543 462621 to arrange collection.  (Please note there is a charge for this service).  Items such as old furniture should not be dumped next to bin stores or in the inner communal areas of the block under any circumstances.

Door Entry System

If your block is equipped with a door entry system so you can control who enters the block, do not let anyone in unless they are visiting you and you know why they have called.  It is important that you co not prop communal doors open.

Please see the Sub-let Registration Form below:

Sub-let Registration Form .docx (15.12 KB)

If you are experiencing problems in paying your service charge bill, please contact our Accounts Receivable Section on 01543 462621 to discuss the problems and agree a payment plan. 

If you do not pay your service charges you are breaking the terms of your lease and the Council could (in extreme cases) apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) or the Court for forfeiture of the lease.  This is very serious as you would not only lose your home but also any equity you had built up in it. 

If you become unemployed or your income reduces substantially, you should immediately contact your local office of the Department for Work and Pensions or seek help from the Citizens Advice Bureau as you might be entitled to receive help with your mortgage payments.

You may also be entitled to help if you are aged over 60 - please contact the Department for Work and Pensions for further information. 

If you need more advice on dealing with your debts, you can phone:

The National Debtline on 0808 808 4000.

Alternatively, for advice based on your own circumstances, please call:

The Money Advice Line on 0333 242 0013.

Household building insurance provides financial protection against unpredictable risks. The insurance pays for the cost of repairing or rebuilding your home if it is damaged by unforeseen events (as detailed in the insurance policy).
We arrange building insurance cover for all leasehold properties. This is a condition of your lease which is binding on both of you and the Council and is because the Council remains responsible for the upkeep, repair and maintenance of the structure and communal areas. The terms and conditions the Council has agreed with the insurance company is similar to any comprehensive insurance cover and provides value for money for leaseholders. You do not need separate cover with your lender.
Building insurance certificates are sent to all leaseholders at the beginning of each financial year and to all new leaseholders once the purchase details have been confirmed.

Cover

Your buildings insurance policy is with Protector Insurance (Policy number: 287001) and is renewed on 1st May each year. The policy covers the structure of the flats situated within the building, constructed of brick, stone or concrete and the leaseholder’s liability for any common or structural parts of the building such as roofs and foundations that are damaged due to insured perils.
The policy also covers the internal decorations and fixtures and fittings within the flats and building and any domestic outbuildings and garages, drives, patios and terraces, walls and gates owned by the leaseholder or for which the leaseholder is legally responsible.
The policy does not cover damage to contents, and we strongly recommend you arrange insurance cover to protect your contents.
The Policy provides indemnity to leaseholders against the following events:
Perils 
•    Fire, Explosion, Lightning, Earthquake 
•    Smoke 
•    Riot civil commotion
•    Malicious Damage
•    Aircraft
•    Impact
•    Storm or Flood
•    Escape of water
•    Falling Trees
•    Theft of or to Buildings
•    Subsidence
•    Leakage of oil
•    Collapse of aerials
•    Accidental breakage of fixed glass and double glazing (including the cost of replacement frames) in doors or windows, ceramic hobs, sanitary ware and solar heating panels fixed to and forming part of the building. 
•    Accidental damage to domestic oil pipes, underground water supply pipes, underground gas pipes, underground electricity, telephone cables, sewers and drains and underground tanks. 
Extra Cover
•    Legal Liability as Property Owners - £2,000,000 plus costs and expenses 
•    Loss of Rent and Alternative Accommodation – 20% of the Sum Insured
•    Architects surveyors and legal fees
•    Removal of debris
•    Additional costs incurred to comply with government or local authority requirements 
•    Legal Fees following occupation by squatters - £10,000 in the aggregate
The policy does not cover the cost of repairing or replacing items due to wear and tear.
For information about the policy please refer to the Leaseholder Policy summary document.  
If you let your property you need to know that the policy excludes malicious damage to your property caused by your tenants and any damage as a direct result of negligent behaviour by your tenants. You may want to think about getting a ‘landlord’s policy’ with an independent provider to cover you against potential losses.
If your property remains unoccupied for 30 consecutive days or more, additional conditions and exclusions also apply which are set out below:
a) the Premises are secured against illegal entry by closing and locking all windows and doors and setting any fire or intruder alarm systems; 
b) all mains services are disconnected except for the electricity supply to maintain any fire or intruder alarm; 
c) all water pipes and tanks are drained down; 
d) all letterboxes are sealed to prevent insertion of any materials or liquids; 
e) the Premises are kept clear of all moveable combustible material; 
f) the Insured or authorised employee of the Insured’s appointed agent shall inspect the premises in accordance with the timescale agreed with the Insurer and a record of these inspections are kept for inspection by the Insurer; 
g) any defects in maintenance or security shall be rectified immediately.
If your property is unoccupied for more than 30 days, please inform Cannock Chase Council on 01543 464336
Please also inform the Council when the property is occupied again.

Payment and premium

The annual building insurance premium applies from 1st May to 30th April every year as opposed to calendar year.  You pay your Insurance Premiums with your normal annual service charges, which will be billed by the Council.

Insured Value

Under the policy, your property is given an 'insured value' which is the cost of rebuilding your home. The rebuilding value is different from the actual value of your home if you were to sell it. We adjust the insured value every year in line with changes made in the house rebuilding cost index.  
The Council may also carry out periodic revaluations through an independent valuer.
Please note it’s the leaseholder’s responsibility to ensure that the Council has the correct insurance valuation for the property particular where the property has a mortgage on it.

Increasing building insurance cover

Your mortgage lender may ask you to increase the buildings insurance cover when you buy a leasehold property or if you are re-mortgaging. You will need to provide evidence of this so that our records can be updated, and information forwarded on to Protector Insurance. 

Claims

If you need to make a claim, please contact Protector by telephone 0161 274 9077, email claims@protectorinsurance.co.uk or online www.protectorinsurance.co.uk
Claims must be notified as soon as possible even if the cause of damage has not been resolved. In emergencies, Protector can arrange emergency repairs and, if your property becomes uninhabitable, arrange alternative accommodation.
You must not carry out any repairs without first getting consent from Protector; this includes emergencies. Claims will typically be rejected if they are not made within a reasonable period or if works were carried out without approval.
There is a £100 excess for each building insurance claim except for subsidence, landslip and heave where a £1,000 excess applies.

You can download a Leaseholder Summary of Cover here