Claiming for external and structural repairs

For the first 10 years from when your home was purchased, you have a repair allowance of up to £500 to use for certain essential repairs. We've included some examples of what you can claim for below, but please refer to your individual lease to understand what's covered by the allowance and the requirements for any claims.

The 10-year repair allowance commences from the lease start date and applies when you're a shared owner (not owning 100% of your home). We'll send an annual statement of your balance.

This repair allowance is in place to close the gap between renting and owning your home. These changes have been introduced to eliminate unexpected bills for essential repairs which fall outside of any normal warranty allowing you to put any additional money aside to buy further shares in your home.

What can I claim for?

You'll be able to claim up to a maximum of £500 in repairs and maintenance costs each year to support with the repair or replacement of (if faulty and not covered by warranty):

All water pipes (everything from your external stop tap onwards)
All plumbing fittings such as taps, waste pipes and traps
Blocked drains (however the clearance cost will not be reimbursed if the blockage was caused by inappropriate disposal of fats, wet wipes etc, learn more about how to take care of your drains here)
All gas pipes (everything from the gas meter onwards)
All electrical faults within the ring-main and up to sockets / switches (everything from your electric meter onwards, but excluding any costs related to electrical testing)
All repairs to baths, showers, sinks and toilets
All repairs to water heaters if they were present when you purchased your home
All repairs to gas boilers
All repairs to electrical heaters
All repairs to ground and air source heat pumps
All repairs to PV panels
All repairs to the heating / ventilation system

It doesn't include:

Installing other fixtures and fittings such as kitchen cabinets or furniture
Installing appliances that use your gas, electricity, or water supplies such as ovens and washing machines
Repairs covered by the building warranty or any other guarantee
Any alterations or additions made by you
Servicing costs for water heaters, gas boilers, electrical heaters, and ground and air source heat pumps

Any repairs which are required as a result of deliberate or negligent damage won't be covered by the repair allowance.

How does it work?

You'll need to have any repairs carried out by a TrustMark approved trades person. You can learn more about TrustMark and search for approved trades people here.

A maximum of £500 of unused repairs expenditure can be rolled over into the following year. This will help to cover annual repairs that cost more than £500 if you didn't use all of your allowance the previous year. The accumulated allowance should be transferred to the next owner if you decide to move out of your home. The maximum allowance you can have in any one year is £1,000.

Any portion of repair and maintenance costs above £500 will be your responsibility to pay for.

We are responsible for assessing whether repairs claimed are essential and genuine. We have the right, by exception, to inspect your home if we need to. We won't be liable for repairs where there has been a breach of lease such as deliberate or avoidable damage. This includes if you fail to ensure appropriate routine servicing and maintenance arrangements (eg boiler servicing) where it's your responsibility to do so under the terms of your lease.

We won't be responsible for carrying out any cyclical works inside your home (eg pre-planned replacement / refurbishment of kitchen / bathroom decorations).

Normal health and safety requirements (eg gas servicing and electrical testing) will be your responsibility.

It's your responsibility to check any warranties for particular components and claim through existing policies where covered.

You won't be able to claim expenditure for DIY repairs or repairs done by non-professionals. We have the right to reject repairs claims using any unapproved company which isn't part of the TrustMark scheme.

How do I make a claim?

You must make a claim using the form below within 28 days of the work being completed to be eligible for reimbursement.

You'll need:

Photographs of the repair both before and after the work was carried out
To provide details of the repair to us in the form below
To provide the details of the TrustMark approved trades person who carried out the repair (including their trading details and registration number)
An invoice showing your name and address from the appointed TrustMark approved trades person and a full description of the work that was carried out within 28 days of its completion