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Leaseholders and Shared Owners

Here to help you take your first step onto the property ladder.

If you are a leaseholder or looking to become a leaseholder, owning your own home outright or as a shared owner having purchased a share in a property, then you may need to have contact with Trident Group from time to time.

Trident Group provides specific services to around 450 leaseholders and shared owners, the information here provides you with answers to some of the questions that you may have.

If you bought your home as part of the Right to Buy schemes, or purchased a property on the open market that we previously sold that way, there are services and work that we carries out on your behalf, paid for through a service charge. We can help and advise you on a range of issues.

More information is also available at Leasehold Advisory Service Website.

Trident Group is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the structure, exterior and common parts in blocks of flats and maisonettes. These are often referred to as communal repairs, planned maintenance or major works. Depending upon the design of the building and nature of its construction, this might include works and services to:

  • Exterior walls.
  • Rainwater and soil pipes.
  • External sewers and drains.
  • Gas, water and electricity pipes up to the flat.
  • External decorations to communal areas.
  • Internal communal areas such as stairs, landings, rubbish chutes etc.
  • Communal windows and doors.
  • Communal grounds.

Leaseholder’s Responsibility to Repair

In addition to your obligation to pay for the cost of communal repairs and redecoration, you are responsible for making the arrangements carrying out and paying for all repairs to the inside of your home. This includes repairs to:

  • Fittings such as kitchen units and sinks.
  • Internal non-structural walls.
  • Plaster or other surface materials on interior walls and ceilings.
  • Front door and window locks.
  • Internal doors and door frames.
  • Toilets, baths and showers.
  • Radiators, cisterns, tanks, boilers and pipes used exclusively within the flat.
  • Gas, water and electricity installations exclusive to the flat.
  • Fixtures, fittings and internal decorations.

Shared Owners‘ Responsibility to Repair

As a shared owner you are also classed as a leaseholder and you are responsible for any repairs and the maintenance to your home. You will also have to pay service charges for any communal works including the upkeep of the structure, exterior and common parts in blocks of flats and maisonettes.

Building Insurance

You as a leaseholder or a shared owner are responsible for any leaks or burst pipes, including damage caused to other property as a consequence. You should always ensure that you have adequate contents insurance. For further information, visit My Home Contents Insurance: https://www.thistlemyhome.co.uk/

If you need to report a repair which is the responsibility of Trident Group, please email us at customerservices@tridentgroup.org.uk or call 0121 6334633.

If you are reporting an emergency repair outside of office hours, which are 9.00am – 4.00pm Monday – Friday, please call 0121 643 6060.

Permission to Alter or Repair

You can redecorate and replace fittings within your property, but you must not carry out structural works or improvements without Trident Group’s permission, for example loft conversions, installing heating, rewiring, removing walls and fitting new windows/doors. Please speak to your Housing Officer for further guidance.

When major works are planned in addition to the legal framework and requirements, we will meet with all leaseholders to consult on the works to be carried out and the costs involved.

As a Leaseholder you have the right to:

  • Information on service charges and the costs incurred to your block of flats or maisonettes.
  • Be consulted on major works affecting your block of flats or maisonettes.

The right to consultation

Trident Group is required to consult with you about any major works programme that you will be required to make a contribution towards, if the work falls under one of the two following categories:

Qualifying Works covers exterior decorations, major works and improvements, which cost over £250 for any leaseholder. If we do not consult you before carrying out Qualifying Works we will not charge you more than £250, subject to the provisions below.

Qualifying Long Term Agreement (QLTA) is an agreement entered into by Trident Group with a wholly independent organisation or contractor for a period of more than 12 months after 31 October 2003. The agreement can cover the supply of goods or services where the leaseholder is liable today towards the cost. For example, the agreement could be for maintenance of lifts or a fire alarm system. Under QLTA leaseholders must be consulted if the apportioned cost to any leaseholder exceeds £100 in a 12 month period. If there was no consultation, the amount chargeable will be limited to £100.

How we consult

You will be consulted as an individual leaseholder or through a recognised residents’ association. There are three stages to the consultation process:

Stage One: During this stage you will receive details of the proposed works.

Stage Two: Here you will receive details of the estimated cost. You will have 30 days during each stage to give us your comments and observations in writing. You will also be able to nominate an alternative contractor to the one we propose.

Stage Three: You will be notified of the contractor appointed to carry out the work and why. Trident must have regard to all leaseholders’ observations made during stages one and two, at the end of which we will summarise for you what those observations were and our responses to them.

Paying for Planned or Major Works

Trident Group recognises that some leaseholders may find it difficult to pay for the associated costs of the works. We balance this against our obligations to maintain. Payments are made to the contractor at the completion of each stage of planned works or major works programme. If you have difficulty paying for the work in a lump sum we will discuss alternative methods of payment with you. If you have any queries with regard to the payment terms for planned or major works, please contact us.

If you have any problem with any of the planned or major works that have been carried out, you should notify us immediately. Failure to notify Trident Group at this stage may result in you receiving a bill for works carried out. At this stage it may be too late to recall the contractors to correct any faults.

There is a programme in place with provisional dates, when painting of communal areas is to take place at each scheme. If you require any information regarding this please contact us.

Planned Major Works

Major works are identified from surveys; legal requirements to meet Health and Safety Standards. They are works that are in addition to day-to-day repairs and maintenance due to the costs of carrying out the works. These can include replacement roofing, replacement windows, replacement or updating of security doors and/or intercoms.

There is a provisional major works programme for the current financial year with future major works being identified and put in to the programme as and when required. For information regarding this programme, please contact us.

Trident Group arranges the buildings insurance cover of your property if you live in a flat or a maisonette or are a shared owner. The cost of this is recharged to all leaseholders / shared owners through the annual service charge.

This does not cover your contents. Please ensure that you arrange your own contents/personal belongings insurance.

Please find below a copy of the Building Insurance summary of cover which you are free to print off. 

Should you have any queries or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact Trident Group on 0121 633 4633.

A Summary of Cover is attached. However, we think the following points will be of interest to you.

(a) The policy operates on a ‘blanket’ basis, which dispenses with the need to specify each property insured on an individual basis.

(b) Sums Insured are not allocated to individual properties or blocks of properties. Each property is automatically insured for its re-building cost and this is maintained at all times.

(c) No endorsement needs to be issued in respect of Tenants, Owners, Shared Owners or Freeholders as the policy automatically recognises them as Joint Insured. Additionally, the interests of Building Societies, Banks or other Mortgagees are recognised.

We would also confirm the property owners’ liability professional fees; demolition and site clearance costs are covered by the policy.

Click the link below to view Trident Housing Association Limited Buildings Insurance Certificate:

Property Insurance – Leasehold and Right to Buy Properties

We have included a list of some of the most frequently asked questions that we receive from leaseholders; these may be able to answer any queries that you have:


What happens if I cannot make a payment ?
If you have payment difficulties or are unable to make payment in full we are here to help. You should contact the Homes and Communities team immediately to discuss your situation and discuss any options available to you.


What happens if I have already made an agreement with my Housing Officer / Income Officer to pay my account by instalments?
Whenever you receive an invoice for charges you should contact your Housing Officer or Income Officer to discuss any arrangement you have already in place or wish to make. If you already have an arrangement, you can discuss the possibility of varying your agreement to include this invoice.


In April when I receive my estimated service charge do I have to pay the full amount?
Your lease, like most leases, says that you make payments of your service charges each quarter. You can make a payment each quarter or you can make an agreement to pay the charges over a twelve month period, based on payment of the same amount each month.

How are leaseholders and shared owners’ service charges calculated?

If you are a shared owner your monthly rent and service charge amount and the maximum it can increase is detailed in your lease agreement. We will review this amount each year and it may increase. 

Leaseholders pay a service charge for the upkeep, repair and improvements of buildings, and building insurance. If you pay a variable service charge, we will consult with you before making any major changes to the amount you pay. Please see point 7 of your Summary of Leaseholders’ rights and obligations for more information about this. 


What happens if the estimate is too high or too low?
Your bill will be adjusted in the September of each year, when actual costs are known and a statement of your actual costs, showing the adjustment, is provided to you as audited accounts.

If you would like to have your say on the service you receive as a leaseholder and shared owner, you can join our leaseholder panels or customer voice group who meet regularly to discuss how we can improve.

You can find out more by visiting our engagement page or by calling the team on 0121 633 4633 or emailing communityengagement@tridentgroup.org.uk.

You can complain to our complaints team using the form below and follow our complaints process. Your complaint will initially be dealt with by a Trident Group manager who will follow the stage one process. If you are still unhappy, you can then escalate this to stage two where on of our senior management team will review it.

If you are still unhappy, you can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service who are an independent, impartial, and free service who monitors how Social Housing providers perform on complaints. The Housing Ombudsman Service will ask if you have contacted us so please place a formal complaint with us first.

For more information on our complaints procedure, visit our complaints page.

Leasehold Valuation Tribunal (Midlands)
2nd Floor, East Wing, Ladywood House
45/46 Stephenson Street
Birmingham
B2 4DH

Tel: 0845 600 3178
Website www.rpts.gov.uk


The Leasehold Advisory Service
31 Worship Street
London
EC2A 2DX

Tel: 020 7374 5380
Website: www.lease-advice.org


Housing Ombudsman Service
81 Aldwych
London
WC2B 4HN

Tel: 0300 111 3000
Website: housing-ombudsman.org.uk


Homes England

5 St Phillips Place
Colmore Row
Birmingham
B3 2PW

Tel: 0300 1234 500
Email: enquiries@homesengland.gov.uk 

Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/homes-england

Shared ownership homes: buying, improving and selling GOV.UK