Lewisham Homes manages the freehold on behalf of Lewisham Council.
We are responsible for the maintenance of the communal and structural parts of the building and communal areas (shared areas) of estates such as roads, communal gardens and parking areas.
As stated in your lease, the upkeep and repair of these areas is the responsibility of the freeholder. These areas are not included in your purchase because they are shared with other people.
The cost of maintaining a building varies according to its age and structure. From time to time it will be necessary for Lewisham Homes to undertake items of Major Works to improve or repair the communal and structural parts of the building. These will usually be one-off works.
If the cost of the repair or improvement is likely to result in a service charge bill of more than £250, then it is referred to as a major work. We also use the term ‘major works’ to include external decorations and associated repairs.
During the consultation period, we will give you the name of one of our officers to contact about any issues or concerns you may have.
As a leaseholder, if you have concerns about the work, you should raise these as soon as possible so we can deal with them. Do not wait until you receive your bill. It is much easier to sort out disputes with contractors when they are still on-site.
Leasehold Consultation
We are committed to consulting with our residents, including leaseholders at all stages of a major works project.
The type of consultation will depend on the works that we plan to do. For example, if we are planning a lot of work with major changes then we will organise meetings and give more information to residents than if we are carrying out regular external decorations to your building.
Where work is going to cost more than £250 per leasehold flat, you have to be consulted about the work before the work begins in accordance with Section 151 of the Leasehold Reform Act 2002.
You will receive a Notice of Intention outlining the works that we intend to carry out.
You can respond to this notice within 30 days, with your comments on the scope of the intended work and in some circumstances you will have the right to nominate a contractor.
Following this, if we still intend to carry out the work, a further notification will be sent containing details of the estimated costs.
You will then have a further 30 days to give us your comments. We will look carefully at your comments and will have regard to them. You cannot refuse permission for the works to go ahead. We have responsibility under the lease to repair and maintain the building and common parts of the estate.