Leaseholder handbook - responsibility for repairs

Many leaseholders are unsure who is responsible for repairs to their home. Your lease agreement outlines how these responsibilities are divided: 

What we are responsible for

We repair and maintain the structure, outside and communal (shared) parts of the building, including:

• Outside walls 
• Roof 
• Loft space 
• Foundations
• Rainwater and soil pipes
• Sewers and drains
• Lifts (this includes servicing) 
• Shared fixtures and fittings, for example door-entry systems and shared television aerials 
• Cold-water storage tanks (which serve more than one flat) 
• Gas, water and electricity pipes up to the point where your flat starts 
• Decorating the outside of the property and shared areas
• Walls and fences forming the boundary of the building 
• Balcony railings, surface and drainage 
• Lighting the shared areas 
• We will also maintain outside areas such as paths, shared shed blocks, drying areas and bin stores. 

You will have to contribute towards the cost of the repairs and maintenance. This is in proportion to the number of flats in the block, or the number of flats benefiting from the service. For example: if there are six flats, you will pay one sixth of the full cost.

This is stated in the Fifth Schedule of your lease and the type of repairs are listed in the Seventh Schedule. 

To report a repair to the building, shared areas, or communal services:

• Do it online
• Call 0800 018 6050

What you are responsible for

You are responsible for maintaining the inside of your flat, including: 

• Fittings, such as kitchen units and sinks
• Ceilings
• Floors
• Doors (including the entrance door and your shed door)
• Windows
• Plaster or other surface material on the walls and ceilings
• The water tank (if it supplies water to your property only)
• Plumbing, electrical wiring and gas connections (up to the meters)
• All fixtures and fittings (except for those that are part of a shared system, such as a door-entry phone) 
• Gas boilers (which should be serviced every year if you live in your own home and must be serviced every year if you rent your flat out) 
• Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors 
• Heating systems that supply heat to your property only

Burst pipes and water leaks

You must get leaks or burst pipes repaired immediately. If a delay causes damage to the building or another flat, it may not be covered by your buildings insurance, and you may have to pay for the repair yourself.

For information about our building insurance, please contact our Insurance team:

• Email: insurance@dacorum.gov.uk
• Telephone: 01442 228320/228150