Leaseholders
Worthing Homes currently has 214 Leaseholders and 41 shared home ownership properties. We are committed to providing a high quality service to all our Leaseholders.
What is a Lease?
A Lease is a legally binding agreement that exists between you and Worthing Homes.
It sets out the rules that have been agreed by both you and Worthing Homes and its terms are enforceable through courts and Tribunals.
The Law gives Leaseholders and Landlords many rights, and these are explained in the Worthing Homes Home Owners Handbook (3MB pdf file) , but the Lease adds detail those rights. For example, whilst the law allows us to collect charges from you for services that we provide, it is the Lease that lays down the basis upon which we must share charges amongst the leaseholders and other residents.
For information and Leasehold advise, go to the Leasehold Advisory Service Web page.
What is a service charge ?
Service charges are payments for services including repairs, external redecoration (every 5 years), Grounds maintenance, communal cleaning, insurance, audit, lighting and landlords cost of management.
Each year you will receive from the company an estimate of the coming years service charge, these will be sent in early March.
Quarterly statements will be sent to all leaseholders detailing all transactions to their account.
Company Policy on Leaseholders Arrears
If you are in arrears please contact the Sales and Leasehold Adviser or phone 01903 703 130.
To discuss these leaseholder/service charges or make specific enquiries, please contact our Sales and Leasehold Adviser to make arrangements to clear or reduce the arrears within an specified timescale.
If you are in arrears and you fail to comply with an agreement the following action may be taken:-
- To serve a forfeiture notice action within the county court
- contact mortgage company
- Worthing Homes have a firm but fair policy for leasehold arrears
Major works and improvements
From time to time we will need to carry out more substantial works to the structure of buildings for which we are responsible.
Before we specify such work we identify if leaseholders live in the building, and then make our plans for tendering and ordering the work over a timescale that enables us to consult leaseholders about the cost and breakdown of the work by sending a section 20ZA notice.
Download the Worthing Homes Home Owners handbook.
To discuss these leaseholder/service charges or make specific enquiries, please contact our Sales and Leasehold Adviser or phone 01903 703130.
How to report a repair
It is important to report the need for a repair as soon as its need becomes evident as the longer it is left the greater the cost of repair is going to be.
Your share of the costs of repairs that are the landlord's responsibility to carry out will be recharged to you.
In an emergency you should telephone 01903 703 100 and these will be attended to within 24 hours of according to the nature of the emergency.
For the other repair matters please telephone 01903 703 101 during normal working hours.
Try to report repairs in as much detail as possible, so that we can avoid unnecessary costs.
After you have reported a routine repair you will be advised in writing how long it will be before the works will be done. It is our aim to complete all repairs within the stated time but sometimes delays can occur if a part has to be ordered or a detailed technical inspection is required.
Some works may be added to a planned maintenance programme if that is going to be more cost effective and there is no immediate urgency for the work to be done.
The main types of repairs for which we are responsible are shown below:-
Repairing responsibilities
You are responsible for: -
- All internal parts of your homes including all the services that are used solely by you;
- Fixtures and fittings within your homes, unless it belongs to the landlord (such as entry-phone equipment)
- Cable pipes and drains within your home or that serve it
- Glazing and internal door, including fastenings and locks
- Internal decoration
- Ceiling, but not joists or beams
- Non- Structural walls and partitions within your home
- All plaster and other wall, ceiling and floor finishes
We are responsible for: -
- The main structure of the building including walls foundation, roofs, window frames (but not glazing or fastenings), and communal doors and internal communal areas
- Gutter and rainwater pipes
- All electrical, plumbing and drainage services that are common to the whole building
- Structural elements of floor and ceilings
- Lift, communal aerials
- External decorations and internal decorations of communal parts
- Estate roads, paths and car parks, including lighting