We must consult you before we carry out any major work or improvements to your block and before we enter into a long-term contract for providing services.
We will serve you with a legal notice called a section-20 notice, giving you a brief description of the work, an estimated cost to your block or building, and the unit cost.
We must consult you if we are planning to carry out any work which will cost £250 or more for each individual property.
In an emergency or in circumstances beyond our control, when we do not have time to consult either the leaseholders or their representatives, we may still charge you for the cost of the work. For example, the collapse of a roof or chimney, falling masonry, or a burst water main.
Paying for major work
We will generally send you an invoice six to nine months after we have completed the work.
Permission to carry out alterations inside your property
Permission needed from the landlord
You must not carry out any structural work or alterations to your property until you have the council's permission in writing. This is a condition of your lease.
Examples of work that needs permission include
- Replacing windows to your property
- redecorating the outside of your property
- building an extension
- removing walls or a chimney breast
- disconnecting shared heating
- converting a loft.
When you have the council's permission, you must still keep to any planning and building regulations, the current standards of the gas, water and electricity companies, and any conditions attached to the permission itself.
Write to the leasehold management team with details of the work needed and, if possible, provide a sketch of the planned work. In some cases, the council may not grant permission for you to carry out extra work. We will tell you the outcome in writing.