Leaseholders Focus Group

Welcome to the Leaseholders section of the STRF website.

We hope these pages prove useful but if you have any additional enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact the Leasehold Team on 0800 833 160 or email LeaseholderServices@seh.southend.gov.uk

When you buy a flat or maisonette, you do not buy the flat itself, you buy a lease from the landlord, which gives you the right to live in the flat for an agreed period of time. So, if you buy a council flat, the council owns the building (the Freeholder) and you become a Leaseholder. You will not be liable to pay rent, except for a small amount each year, known as ‘Ground Rent’ which is currently £10.00 a year.

At the end of the lease period, the property will revert back to the council, unless you apply to extend the lease (click on page tab entitled ‘Extending Your Lease’ for more information). The lease is a legal agreement between you ‘the Leaseholder’ and the council ‘the Freeholder’. It contains details of the property and will normally include a plan showing your home, the building it is in, the estate the building is on and any garden, shed or garage included in the sale.

The lease will also explain your and our rights and responsibilities. Because your flat is part of a block you must also pay a share of the costs of maintaining the building and any communal areas and services provided such as cleaning and lighting of corridors and stairways.

Leaseholders Focus Group.

South Essex Homes holds quarterly meetings with Leaseholders at which a variety of matters are discussed. These are matters relevant to your leases, the estates in which your properties are situated, and Service Charges. All Leaseholders are welcome, and the group is always pleased to see new faces. It may be that a problem you thought only affected you is raised in the meetings and, by discussing it, it is possible a better approach can be found to deal with it together.

Jan Tate from the Leaseholders Focus Group produced an article for Insight which can be downloaded below or viewed by clicking here.

To join this group contact the Leaseholder Services Team on 0800 833160.

MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS CAN BE FOUND AND DOWNLOADED BELOW.

The next meeting will be held on the 13 November 2024 at 4pm till 5pm at the Civic Centre room 3 – 1st floor

Downloads

File	Description	File size
08 - Minutes-Focus-Group-14.08.24		223 KB
03 - Minutes-Focus-Group 06-03-24		2 MB
10 - Minutes-Focus-Group 15-10-19		183 KB
06 - Minutes-Focus-Group 04-06-19		184 KB
04 - Minutes-Focus-Group 23-04-19		176 KB
02 - Minutes-Focus-Group 12-02-19		184 KB
What Is A Leaseholder		583 KB