Buying the freehold

Among the properties we manage there are a number of buildings where all of the flats are sold on long leases. If your building's one of these you have the right, as a leaseholder, to buy the freehold of your building.

If you buy the freehold, your property will no longer be managed by Lewisham Council. We stop being responsible for repairing and maintaining the building, and no longer charge you for any major works.

As a freeholder, you would decide, with other owners in the building, what works, if any, you want to carry out. You're responsible for choosing a contractor and the timing of the works.

You have the right to buy the Freehold if:

• at least two-thirds of the flats in the building are held on long leases; and

• the number of leaseholders who want to buy the freehold equals at least half of all the flats in the building.

You may hear this referred to as the ‘right of collective enfranchisement’.

If there are only two properties in a building, the law says that the leaseholders of both properties must want to buy the freehold for the ‘right to collective enfranchisement’ to apply.

How to start the process

• Speak to your neighbours who own the other flats in your building to establish whether they want to buy a share of the freehold with you. If they do:
• Speak to an Estate Agent or Surveyor about providing a valuation for the freehold of your building (not the individual properties). * You will be responsible for any costs associated with this service
• Once you have the valuation, appoint a solicitor to act on your behalf and serve the London Borough of Lewisham with a Section 13 Notice. The Notice should be sent by post to The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Lewisham, Legal Services, 1^st Floor Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, Catford, London SE6 4RU.

Further information on buying the freehold can be found:

• On the website of the independent organisation LEASE at Home - The Leasehold Advisory Service (lease-advice.org)

Do you lease your flat to the Council?

If you're a freeholder of a property where you lease a flat to the Council and need to:

• send us a bill for service charges or major works
• serve statutory notice on us in relation to the property
• tell us important information that may affect the property or our tenant
• contact our tenant

Email us at hos@lewisham.gov.uk.