Month: April 2021

Shared Ownership Leasehold and Lease Extensions

Are you aware of what is shared ownership in lease extension, how it works? No, then you’re at the right place. Many people have the same confusion about how shared ownership relates to lease extension in the UK. Initially let us recall what is leasehold, Leasehold is an ownership of a resident for a long-term period. Generally, this could extend to 99 or more years and in this period the house can be sold or bought.

Leaseholders also have a statutory right to extend the flat lease if the term is exceeded more than 21 years. The value of the house shrinks down year by year till the lease expires. After which usually the ownership reverts to the landlord. A leasehold has the right and responsibility of all the interior and exterior residing of a flat. The leaseholders have to keep an eye on the maintenance and repairs of the entire flat.

What is Shared Ownership Leases?

In the same way as the leasehold ownership, there is another ownership named shared ownership. In which the leaseholders have the right to buy a share of the flat or a house and remunerate for that part of the property. Leaseholders possess the right to purchase multiple shares till it has 100% of proprietorship. At that stage, it would be converted from shared ownership to leasehold ownership. This ownership has come into existence for those who can’t purchase or manage to buy the full property. They can have a part of it at a great premium value. Substantially, it has been carried out by the housing associations of England as a section of their house ownership scheme.

Shared ownership of a residence has the statutory right to extend the lease and the landlord may have its approach and scheme plans. Leaseholders must look over with the landlord. It may vary depending on the landlord’s choices. From the Leasehold Reform Act 1967, has been stated that the shared ownership does not have the right to buy the freehold. It would be only preferable for those who cannot afford to buy the whole of the leasehold ownership. Hence, in shared ownership also the shorter lease issue will be there. The landlord has the right to take back the leasehold at any time. If the shared ownership is transferred to the landlord, then there will be no reimbursement given to the leaseholder.

Shared Ownership Properties and the Latest Updates

In the Leaseholder’s shared ownership of a flat, the leaseholder will have to manage all the maintenance and repairs of the flat. In a special case, if the property of the flat of leasehold is in the private sector, then the cost of the maintenance, like lane, corridors, and other improvements will be payable and will not charge to the leaseholder.

Homes England accepts shared ownership leases should have fundamental points to be focused on:

1. Restrain on selling and forbidding on sublease rental.

They do not permit sublease rental in any condition. Undergoing shared ownership lease, the landlord has the right to seize the leasehold ownership if they do not have 100% ownership. This conveys that if the leaseholder of the shared ownership wants to sell the freehold then he/she has to first recommend it to the landlord or to the buyer who has been suggested by the landlord. There are also new home rent review clauses upgraded.

If the landlord does not respond to the above right from the leaseholder in under 8 weeks then the leaseholder has the right to sell the freehold to any other buyer in the demand. For all the new sponsored finance for shared ownership houses provided through the low-cost homes program 2021 whereas the resale application proposal time period has been lowered down to 4 weeks from 8 weeks.

In the 2021 plan update, the Home programs came up with a new financial policy in which the shared ownership leaseholder will be benefitted. In which they have planned that the landlord has to pay the maintenance and repair cost to the shared leaseholders for up to 10 years in the newly constructed homes. There is also a mortgage section classification planned in support of the mortgage lender and for the shared ownership leaseholders. In which loans can be provided to the leaseholder for their shared properties with mortgage protection.

Few of the shared ownership leases of flats in the countryside limits the right of the leaseholder to buy the property shares to 80%, or in case if the leaseholder is permitted to transfer to 100% of the proprietorship then he/she has the responsibility to revert the property to the landlord or any other purchaser who is willing to buy. Besides this to the countryside allowance, a shared ownership leasehold house for aged people can restrict the property share to 75%.

As all the new granted financial support for shared ownership houses given by the Affordable Homes program 2021 – 2026 and presented through Section 106 is decreased from 25% to 10% and also included an additional progressive 1% staircase process.

To calculate the cost of a shared ownership lease of property you may check out our shared ownership lease extension calculator. It will give you an estimated cost of your shared lease property. Our Leasehold Valuations team can also help you and guide you in all kind of lease extensions and lease enfranchisements process. Contact us without any hesitation, schedule 10 minutes free consultation with one of our chartered surveyors to resolve your issues or queries related to shared ownership rights and government acts to it.