Insurance

For insurance purposes the building is divided in to areas that the Council insures and those which you, as leaseholder, are responsible for insuring.

The Council insures the ‘Reserved property’. This is basically the communal areas and the structure. It is the leaseholder’s responsibility to insure the ‘demised premises’. This is basically the flat and the areas that you are responsible for keeping in good repair. This is a requirement of your lease.

 

You can choose your own insurer, but you must serve a Notice of Cover on the Council as landlord no later than 14 days after having placed the insurance (or within 14 days of any request by the Council as landlord). A copy of the policy should be sent to the Council’s Insurance Section. The Council’s Insurance Section can give you advice on insurance companies.

 

Your lease provides for the Council as the Lessor (or landlord) to arrange insurance cover for the ‘reserved property’ (parts of the building not sold, i.e. foundations, roof, outside walls, common parts), and to recover the cost of the premium through the service charges. This insurance is included in your annual service charge bill. The Council currently does this by a mix of insurance cover with insurance companies and self-insurance.

As an individual leaseholder, you or the secretary of a recognised Tenants Association can ask the Council, as landlord, for a written summary, or for a copy of the insurance policy. Your request must be made in writing.

 

For the demised premises you should notify your insurers to obtain a claim form and to agree any emergency works.

For the reserved property you should notify the Leasehold Team who will arrange for the Council to make a claim from its own policy or fund the repairs itself.

For claims for both reserved property and demised premises notify both your insurers and the Leasehold Team.

 

If your home is damaged because of someone else’s negligence (e.g. flood damage), you should make a claim against the other person, or on their household insurance policy. If you have your own insurance, the claim should go to your own insurers first and they should be instructed to make a claim against the other person.