Flats are sold leasehold, usually on a long lease, giving you the right to live in the property during this period. You can sell the lease during this time.
Ealing Council owns the land and building and will be your landlord.
When you buy the property, you sign a lease that outlines your rights and obligations.
The lease details what the landlord must do to maintain communal areas and how you must pay for your share of these works and maintain the inside of your flat.
Before the sale, you will get a draft lease to review with your solicitor. These will become legal once you buy the flat.
You must pay your share of costs for maintaining the building and communal areas, which includes:
- repairs or replacements of the roof, windows, lifts, staircase, or external painting
- services provided by the landlord, such as caretaking and maintenance of grounds, lighting for halls, stairways, and footpaths
- improvements to the structure, like installing door entry phones
- the landlord's management costs and insurance for the structure and exterior of the flat
When you buy under the Right to Buy, you will be told of the flat's cost and given:
- estimates of the costs of any major works planned during the first 5 years. These estimates are binding and can only be increased with inflation, if carried out in the first 5 years. If delayed beyond 5 years, you will have to pay the full cost
- estimates of other service charges, like caretaking, cleaning, and lighting, which are not binding and can rise by more than inflation, even in the first 5 years