Information for leaseholders...

This section of our website contains information for leaseholders. The information is split across a number of pages. Use the links in the left naviagtion to move from page to page.

Your Lease

Your lease is a formal contract between you and Helena Housing. It tells you about the rights and obligations you have as a leaseholder and Helena Housing has as a landlord.

If you are the first person to buy the property, the lease will be for a period of 125 years. If you have taken over the lease from someone else, then you will have taken over the number of years remaining on the lease at that time.

Your main rights under the lease

To live in your home for the length of the lease.
The quiet enjoyment of your home.
For owners of flats, the repair and maintenance of the structure and communal areas by Helena Housing.

Your main responsibilities under the lease

You main responsibilities are:

To pay your service charges on time.
To pay your insurance on time.
To maintain and repair the inside of your home.
To allow us or our contractors to carry out necessary work to your home.
Not to make structural changes to your home without our permission.
Not to use your home as anything other than a private residence.
Not to cause a nuisance or harass other people.
Let us know your new address if you move.

If you sell your lease to someone else, you will need to give us legal notice of the change and pay a registration fee.

Helena Housing’s main responsibilities under the lease

To keep your home insured as described in your lease.
To maintain the structure and exterior of flats and maisonettes.
To maintain the communal areas of flats and maisonettes and keep them clean and well lit.

Further details of your rights and responsibilities can be found in the Rights and Responsibilities leaflet sent to you with your invoice.

Glossary of terms

Listed below are some words and phrases we have used in this leaseholders section together with brief explanations.

Arrears	Any debts, including rent and service charge which has not been paid.
Cyclical redecoration	Painting of communal areas both inside and out, usually every six years.
Communal areas	The parts of the building or estate or services shared with others.
Equity or shares	The percentage of property owned by you or us.
Freeholder	A person or company who is granted full ownership of land and building.
Home or property	A flat, maisonette, bungalow or house including any private garden, outbuilding or garage.
Lease	A legal agreement, which sets out the rights and responsibilities of both leaseholder and landlord.
Leaseholder	Someone who lives in a flat who has purchased all of the equity, or shares to 100% ownership. Can also be used in relation to a shared owner (see below).
Resales	Term used to describe the procedure when you sell your home or share of a shared ownership home.
Shared Owner	Someone who owns a share in their home, but who is also a tenant.
Staircasing	The process of purchasing extra shares of your home if you are a shared owner.

Legal Words used in your lease

Common parts	The parts of the building which you share with other residents in the building, e.g. entrance hall and staircases.
Covenants	A legally binding promise.
Demised premises	The part of the building that has been sold to you and is your responsibility.
Exemptions and reservations	Rights we keep as landlord over your home.
Landlord or lessor	The owner of the land, entitled to receive rent (ground rent) & service charges and who will eventually own the property when the lease comes to an end.
Tenant or lessee	The person who owns the lease and has the right to live in the property.

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