Will the Council repair my home if I have asked to buy it?
If you have made an application to buy your home from the Council you will still remain one of our tenants until the time you complete your purchase. This means that we will continue to be responsible for certain repairs to your home. However, we will not carry out any major works or any large scale home improvements – for example new windows, roofs or central heating.
Your local ALMO will continue to carry out emergency and routine (day-to-day) repairs, and repairs that will make sure your home is “wind, weatherproof and secure”. We will also arrange repairs for any faulty gas fittings that are our responsibility.
We cannot carry out any improvement works after you have applied to buy your home as this could affect its value. When you tell us that you want to buy your property from us the price that you will pay is fixed at the date that we register your application. We base this valuation on the size and condition of your home. This includes taking into account any improvements that may be needed.
If you decide you do not want to do this work yourself, and would prefer the Council or your ALMO to do it on your behalf, please contact us. We can arrange for somebody to talk to you about the alternatives that are available to you.
Will the Council or my local ALMO continue to carry out any repairs to my property after I have bought it?
If your home is a house or bungalow, you will be responsible for all repairs.
If your home is a flat or maisonette, you will be responsible for all internal repairs. However, we will still carry out repairs to areas that you share with other residents. These include roofs; stairwells, lifts, drying areas, rubbish chutes etc. As the leaseholder (owner) of a flat or maisonette, you will pay a proportion of the cost of any repairs to these areas through an annual service charge.
You can find details about service charges in the leaseholders’ section on your local ALMO website.