Repairs Allowance

Repairs under the new model lease

If your home was funded with grant between 2021 and 2026 you'll have a new model lease. This currently applies to homes at Mill Lane in Warrington and Cromwell Road in Ellesmere Port only.

On these developments, for the first ten years of the lease, if the property stays as shared ownership, even if it is sold on as shared ownership during that time, you'll have the benefit of an annual £500 repairs allowance towards the cost of qualifying repairs.


What are the qualifying repairs?

These are essential repairs of things which you should not expect to go wrong during the first ten years of your lease.

For example fixtures and fittings that supply gas, electricity and water into your home.


Can I use the allowance  for general maintenance?

General maintenance is not covered and you will need to arrange your own servicing - e.g. a boiler


What can I claim for?

Here are some examples of eligible qualifying repairs:

Qualifying Repairs

Basin, sinks, baths , toilets cisterns and waste pipes – for example – leaks, cracks or drainage problems

Yes

Boiler, radiators and thermostats faults ( but only if regular servicing has taken place )

Yes

External doors

Yes

Hot water failure (but only if regular  boiler servicing has taken place)

Yes

 

Here are some examples of things which are not qualifying repairs and cannot be claimed for:

Non-qualifying repairs

Any work covered under a warranty or an insurance policy

Although any insurance excess up to value of the repairs allowance may be claimed

No

 

Boiler servicing or electrical testing

No

Decorating

No

Improvements or alterations

No

Any works required as a breach of obligations under the lease

 No

Radiator bleeding

No

Key /lock replacements

No

Replacement shower screens or bath panels

No

Replacement shower heads

No

Fair wear and tear

No

 

If not covered by the defects warranty or other warranties, some structural repairs where we may arrange works are:

Structural repairs

Roof works

Yes

Cladding

Yes

Render works

Yes

Gutters and downpipes

Yes

 

How do I make a claim?

Please complete the claim form below. We'll then check whether the works  should be covered under

·         The developers defect period

·         The warranty on your home

·         The buildings insurance for your home

We'll then ask you to provide:

·         A quote from a Trustmark trader ( you can find more information about trust mark traders here – link to Find your local tradesperson • TrustMark  )

·         Photos of the issue

You'll be responsible for arranging for the repair to be carried out.

If we agree the claim, we'll then ask you provide a receipt from a Trustmark professional as poof of payment.

We'll confirm whether we approved the works within 21 days of receiving your claim and aim to reimburse you for the costs within seven days of receipt of all required receipts and photos.


What happens to the allowance if I don’t claim it?

We'll write to you once a year to let you know how much allowance you have. You can carry over a maximum of £500 from one year to the next year if it is not claimed – up to a maximum of £1,000 over two years.

For example - If you claimed £300 in year one, £200 will be moved to year two and you would then have a £700 allowance in year two. If there were no qualifying repairs in year two, the allowance would be reset at £500 in year three.


What happens if I sell my shared ownership home

If you or anyone else purchases the remaining shares in your home and own 100%, the lease will no longer be in place and there will no longer be a repairs allowance. If you sell your shared ownership home, the repairs allowance will stay with the property for the first ten years of the lease.


Make a claim

Complete the following form:

Claim for Qualifying repair details

Note: Questions marked by * are mandatory


*