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What are my responsibilities as a shared owner or leaseholder?


As a home owner, you have certain responsibilities to Magna Housing. We, likewise, have responsibilities to you. Please see the homeowners handbook section for full details.

Here is a brief overview of the main obligations contained within your lease.

You, the leaseholder, agrees to:

  • to pay the ground rent on time in the manner detailed in the lease
  • to pay the rates or any other taxes on the property and to share the payments of any rates or taxes for the common parts of the building
  • to keep the interior of the premises clean and to maintain in good working repair any of the services that apply only to the premises
  • to pay the service charge (if due) in the manner detailed in the lease
  • to pay Magna’s expenses for any fees or charges made in connection with the property, eg. surveyors, accounts for management or maintenance or the collection of the ground rent. These people may be our own staff. This is included in the service charge
  • not to alter the property without Magna’s consent
  • to allow us to inspect the property inside and out following adequate notice stating this intention
  • to allow us entry to repair any adjoining property or maintain any common services, following receipt of adequate notice of this intention
  • to repair any defects within one month following receipt of a notice from us
  • if repairs are not carried out, to allow us to enter the property, carry out those repairs and then charge you for the work carried out. We will provide estimates before carrying out such works
  • only to use the property as a private residence
  • not to cause a nuisance to adjoining occupiers or to use the property for illegal/immoral purposes
  • not to do anything which would make our insurers refuse to pay out on any claim which we might wish to make.

Responsibilities for repairs

Your lease explains your obligations and Magna’s when maintaining the property. If you live in a house, you are responsible for all repairs and decoration both internally and externally to your home. We are responsible for any common parts or communal areas you may share with other properties.

If you need a full interpretation of the lease, you should consult your own solicitor.

The table below shows the general position in relation to the responsibilities for various types of repair. Your lease will show the exact position.

Please note that where repairs are shown as being our responsibility, we will recharge a share of the cost of these repairs to each homeowner.

If you live in a flat, you are responsible for all maintenance and repairs inside your home, including repairs to the glass in windows and doors, the internal decoration of your flat and services to your flat only. We are generally responsible for maintaining the main structure and the common parts including communal area floor coverings.

The main structure includes the roof, outside walls, outside communal doors, communal window sills and frames, communal drains, gutters and outside pipes and communal pathways steps or other access routes. The exact details of our responsibilities will be shown in your lease.

* Please note that leases will vary and what is written above is to be used as a guide only. Some homeowners are responsible for the window frames, doors leading into communal areas etc. Always check your lease.

If you need to report a repair which is Magna's responsibility please click here.

Type of repairOur responsibilityYour responsibility
Decorating the inside of your home
Decorating communal areas
Decorating the outsideFlatsHouses
Doors - internal to the property
Doors - external to the propertyCommunal
Doors - communal
Gutters / down pipesFlatsHouses
Pipes - inside
Pipes - outside

Flats

Houses
Fuses, lights & other electrical fittings - inside
Fuses, lights & other electrical fittings - outside
Fuses, lights & other electrical fittings - communal
Floor coverings - inside
Floor coverings - communal areas
RoofsFlatsHouses
Kitchen and bathroom fittings
Door entry system

Responsibility chart

Do I need insurance?

For the majority of properties, we are responsible for insuring the structure of your home against major risks such as fire, flood, subsidence and storm damage. Insurance does not cover the cost of replacing elements that are damaged as a result of ‘wear and tear’.