You are a leaseholder with the council if you have bought a leasehold property:
- under the government’s Right to Buy scheme, or
- from an existing leaseholder.
A lease is a contract between a landlord, in this case the Council, and a leaseholder. The lease gives the leaseholder the right to occupy the property for a specified period of time.
Before you bought the property, your solicitor should have explained your lease so that you understand your responsibilities as a leaseholder, and our responsibilities as the landlord. Your solicitor should have given you a copy of the lease.
If you own a leasehold property, you do not own the structure of the building, such as the exterior walls, windows, roof and communal areas, or the land it stands on. They remain in the Council’s ownership, and the Council is responsible for repairing and maintaining these areas.
As a leaseholder, you will be charged an annual service fee which covers:
- your share of any repairs and maintenance carried out to these areas,
- buildings insurance, and
- a management fee.
If you have any questions, please contact us.
Tel: 029 2053 7150
Email: leaseholdrtb@cardiff.gov.uk
Leasehold Team
Room 342, 3rd Floor
County Hall
Cardiff
CF10 4UW
For leasehold advice you can contact the Leasehold Advisory Service. You can make an appointment on the Leasehold Advisory Service website.
If you are experiencing any financial difficulties, you can contact us by visiting your local Hub.
Other useful organisations include:
Annual service charge bill for Leaseholders
Service charges for leaseholders are paid to the Council to:
- cover your share of the cost of repairing, maintaining and improving the communal areas and external fabric and structure of the building,
- buildings insurance cover, and
- services to the property.
The Council has a responsibility to maintain its’ buildings for the benefit of tenants and leaseholders. The maintenance includes responsive repairs and planned schemes which help to prolong the life span of the property.
The Council does not add a profit margin to any work carried out. Under the terms of the lease, the Council will only pass on actual costs to the leaseholder.
The service charges for leaseholders vary each year and are determined by the works and services carried out. It is not unusual for a service charge bill to be higher compared to a previous year.
Your annual service charge bill is payable on demand under the terms of your lease within 30 days. However, the Council usually let leaseholders repay in monthly instalments. You must clear the balance by the end of each financial year (31 March).
A typical service charge bill may consist of:
- cleaning andcaretaking,
- repairs and maintenance,
- grounds maintenance,
- buildings insurance,
- heating,
- concierge,
- communal electric, and
- management fee.
You can make payments by credit or debit card using our automated service on 029 2044 5900.
Alternatively, you can call us on 029 2053 7150 to speak to a member of the team who can take your payment.
Please have your account number to hand.
Building’s insurance
As your landlord, the Council is responsible for arranging building insurance for leasehold properties. The Council has to consult with all leaseholders who may be affected. The Council have to serve you with a notice of intention to enter into the agreement and in due course it will have to serve further notices.
The Council need insurance coverage to make sure its buildings are covered for insurable perils, and to fulfil its obligations contained within the lease. The insurance premium is then recharged to leaseholders as part of the service charge.
Your buildings insurance contribution insures you against:
- fire,
- storm,
- flood,
- subsidence, and
- other risks normally insured against.
Any wear and tear of the property would not be covered by the building’s insurance.
If you need a copy of your policy details, please contact Cardiff Council Insurance on 029 2087 2247.
If you have any other questions relating to Insurance, please do not hesitate to contact the Leasehold Team on 029 2053 7150.
Responsive repairs and planned maintenance
The Council have a responsibility to maintain its buildings for the benefit of contract-holders (tenants) and leaseholders. The maintenance includes responsive repairs and planned schemes which help to prolong the life span of the property.
The Council do not add a profit margin to any work carried out by it. Under the terms of the lease, the Council only pass on actual costs to the leaseholder.
Any planned maintenance work is carried out under the Section 20 and Section 20ZA of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This means the Council would consult leaseholders if the work carried out is over £250 per leaseholder. These are called major works.
Major works like painting, roof replacements and windows upgrades are not included in your annual service charge bill. The Council will create a separate account to allow you time to clear the balance.
You can find information about any planned maintenance on the Tenants Together website. This site will be used to keep you up to date on the latest news and changes. The Tenants Together Team will also let you know about events and how you can get involved.
You can register today and have your say by taking part in opinion polls and surveys on issues such as repairs and service charges. Once you are registered, we can make sure that you are kept informed of events taking place in your area and changes that will affect you.
Management fee
The majority of service charge bills include a management fee and is payable under the terms of your lease. There are a small number of flats which were purchased before the government’s Right to Buy scheme which does not allow for the Council to recover the management fee.
The management fee is a flat rate applied to all the Council’s Right to Buy leaseholders. This covers all the costs involved in managing the service charge accounts and dealing with leasehold enquiries. It also includes the leaseholders share of general expenses such as premises, salaries and office expenses which are not dependant on the size, age or make up of the building.
Contents insurance
The Council offers all tenants and leaseholders home contents insurance at a low-cost rate. This insurance covers most household goods and personal possessions in your home. Find out more about the low cost home contents insurance available to leaseholders. Full details of the policy cover are available on request.
If you are interested in taking up this offer, please contact our finance team on 029 2053 7382.
Financial help for leaseholders
If you are struggling to keep up with payments for either your annual service charge or your mortgage, you may be able to apply for help from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).
The Money Advice Team can also offer help, for more information visit their website.
The help is known as Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI). However, the eligibility criteria for SMI is strict and the help available is limited.
To be eligible, you must receive one of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Job Seekers Allowance (income-based)
- Employment and Support Allowance (income-related)
- Universal Credit (unless you or your partner are receiving earned income)
- Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)
You should always contact your mortgage provider if you are struggling to pay your mortgage as they can help to keep your home.
