Leaseholders

The home ownership services department deals with many of the issues that come with owning a London Borough of Lambeth property. In conjunction with the Lambeth Service Centre we aim to provide a specialist advisory service to all our account holders.

The Lambeth Service Centre is a first point of contact and they are able to answer most homeowner queries. However, should you need specialist advice, they will make sure that you are either connected to the appropriate team in home ownership services or will arrange for an officer to contact you. This will usually be a leasehold services advisor who is there to provide support and advice to our leasehold and freehold account holders.

You have a number of rights and responsibilities as a leaseholder or freeholder. A leaseholder is someone who owns a lease. The leaseholder does not own the land surrounding their home or the building that their home is in. Read more about leaseholder's rights and responsibilities on the Lambeth Council website.

A freeholder is someone who owns the land and the building that is on it. The land includes the property and any gardens that have been sold with the property. Read more about freeholder's rights and responsibilities on the Lambeth Council website.

Home Ownership Services is made up of four specialist teams:

• Leasehold services
• Service charge collections
• Major works
• Property sales

 

Leasehold services

The Lease Advisors deal with any queries you have about your lease or transfer documents and what your rights and responsibilities are. They also deal with our responsibilities to you such as services charges, service delivery or alterations you may want to make to your home. They can also provide specialist advice on subletting and any other problems that you may with your home.

If you are a leaseholder or freeholder on an estate run by a tenant management organisation (TMO) you will receive similar support from the housing officers of your TMO.

Service charge collection

The service charge team deal with calculating and collecting day to day service charges. Service charges for day to day services are payable on the first of every month.

If you are experiencing difficulties in paying your service charges you should contact a collections officer as soon as possible to discuss your situation.

Any disputes you have in regards to the quality of the service or whether the service was actually delivered should be put in writing to the service charge collections team who will investigate your claim accordingly.

Major works

The major works team deal with all consultations, invoicing and collecting costs associated with larger and planned works. All observations, queries and payments in regards to section 20 rechargeable works notices or invoices should be made directly to the major works team.

Property sales

The property sales team covers all works associated with the selling and reselling of London Borough of Lambeth properties. The property sales team comprises of four property sale officers and two legal instructing officers.

The property sales officers deal with all Right to Buy, Social Homebuy, Cash Incentive Scheme and pre-assignment requests. The legal instructing officers deal with deed of postponement request, notices of assignment and transfers, sale of redundant communal spaces applications, repayments of discounts, consent to transfers for freeholds on estates and requests for lease amendments.

Social Homebuy Scheme

Struggling to get on the housing ladder?

• Want to buy your own home?
• On a limited or fixed income?
• Can’t afford to pay the full cost of owning?

Look no further! Don’t miss out on a discount of up to £16,000 Social Homebuy Scheme

• You could buy as little as 25% of your home
• Or as much as you want up to 100%
• If you buy less than 100% you could buy additional shares of 10% when you are able to afford to buy more.

Download the Social Homeby Scheme application form PDF 130Kb.

Cash Incentive Scheme

Do you want up to £38,500 towards buying your next home on the open market?

• Are you a secure council tenant?
• Have you lived in Lambeth for at least three years?
• Are you not in debt to the council?

If so, our Cash Incentive Scheme could be right for you!

• Helps you to buy a home on the market
• Lets you buy anywhere on the UK mainland
• Lets you give back your council home with a maximum grant of £38,500

This scheme has proved very popular with tenants in the past. We are now able to offer a limited number of grants to tenants wishing to become homeowners in Lambeth and across the UK.

Download the Cash Incentive Scheme application form PDF 48Kb.

Pre-Assignment Packs

Pre-Assignment Packs are packs of information that Lambeth Living prepare for leaseholders when the are selling on their homes. All requests for pre-assignments packs must put in writing. There is a £100 fee and all cheques should be made payable to The London Borough of Lambeth. Pre-Assignment Packs will not be sent out until the fee is received. Due to the Data Protection Act, information will only be sent to the current leaseholder or the authorised party (i.e. solicitor) dealing with the sale on their behalf. Pre-Assignment Packs are valid for six months and after this time, if you require an up-to-date Pre-Assignment Packs, you will need to make a new application with fees.