Experience with Southwark Council as your freeholder?

[Gesundheit]

How are they to deal with if issues arise or if they decide work needs to be done? Is extending the lease a relatively easy and fair process?

We're looking at a maisonette in a small, old enough, sturdy-looking block.

Any comments, positive or negative, would be gratefully received!

[katesonic]

Two reasons for lack of response...

...dont want to tell tails because hope the hell they can sell.

...utter nightmare don't go there.

K.

[katesonic]

Do check if there is any greenspace on the estate you're considering as this will undoubtedly have been ear marked for new build and not always social housing...

K.

[katesonic]

No recourse to law with regard to right to light...

as Southwark are the freeholder therefore

Southwark v Southwark.

You're stuffed.

K.

[KidKruger]

Those properties are cheaper for a reason - you?ll pay in stress and ?maintenance? costs for your entire residence there.

[redpost]

Avoid like plague, numerous cases of extortionate service charges e.g. ?40K for a few windows.

[Harry73]

Southwark Council has been our freeholder for the past 10 years. First with a flat we bought, and then again when we upsized to a terrace house on the same estate. We had no qualms about going into another leasehold with them.

There has been one round of major works on the estate over that period. Again, we didn't have any major issues there, other than a few gripes with the quality of the work which was sorted out satisfactorily. They offered flexible payment terms (eg monthly over 3 years).

We pay a monthly service charge which includes things like cleaning the gutters on our property, plus general estate upkeep, lighting etc. We had some roof work undertaken which essentially was rolled into the payments so didn't notice the cost. The general estate upkeep is really important as it also acts as a security service as well as blown lights are replaced really quickly and the estate maintenance and cleaning team know everyone here and keep an eye out for strange things.

Of course, this is just our personal experience. Good luck.

[richard tudor]

Out of interest what area/estate are you talking about?

[Gesundheit]

Thanks so much to all who have given their input. I imagine the horror stories are more widely known because there's not much to talk about when things are ticking along nicely, which is why I wanted to hear about experiences both good and bad.

I feel it wouldn't be fair to the vendors to say where the flat is but from what I could see it's pretty well-maintained and a mix of social and private homes.

Really appreciate hearing your thoughts as we are new to the slightly daunting property game!

[redpost]

What's happened over the last couple of decades is that the council gets a nice better homes grant to upgrade the properties for its tenants, because it's a grant there is very poor value for money in oversight/spec/contractor selection and leaseholders get saddled with a massive bill.

[Asset]

I am a Southwark leaseholder for a house, not a flat.

They have been fine and I pay no service charge, took them to a tribunal a few years ago and won...

I would like to purchase/extend the freehold but I'm waiting to see what happens with the proposed overhaul of the leasehold system. I read that we may be granted 999 year leases automatically.

[Coach Beth]

I'm a Southwark leaseholder and I think it very much depends on whether your flat is in a large block or not. There are two flats in our building/house - council tenant beneath and we own the top. Service charge is reasonable e.g. no more than ?250 a year generally - one year they charged us for something they hadn't done and I rang and they took it off. HOWEVER, I wouldn't buy in a larg block because I could imagine it would be very difficult to challenge any costs and also, there have been case of leaseholders in major block being charged alot for repairs to the whole estate.

[Gesundheit]

Thanks again to those who have commented. I guess you're always taking a bit of a punt buying any property but obviously best to go in armed with as much knowledge as possible so I really do appreciate hearing your views and experiences. It is a small block which gives me comfort...

[JohnL]

Asset Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I am a Southwark leaseholder for a house, not a

> flat.

> They have been fine and I pay no service charge,

> took them to a tribunal a few years ago and

> won...

> I would like to purchase/extend the freehold but

> I'm waiting to see what happens with the proposed

> overhaul of the leasehold system. I read that we

> may be granted 999 year leases automatically.

Yes - I wonder that - My lease is down to the 80s now (not Southwark).

I get the feeling it won't be automatic - but the marriage value bit might change.

Personally I wouldn't do leasehold again if I could avoid it as you are liable to huge bills for repairs at any time - I know freeholders are too but the last few years have scared me as you feel so helpless.

[James Barber]

Hi Gesunheit,

The above advice reflects the casework I had as a local Councillor 2006-18 for East Dulwich.

I'd take a couple of further points. Local councils are not allowed to have sinking funds where leaseholders effectively save up via responsible freeholders for major works.

Quality of repairs / renewals by Southwark Council contractors can be poor and eye wateringly expensive.

With around 14,000 leaseholders you will always have a proportion who really have been poorly treated. But you hear about these. Other non council leaseholders you probably wont hear about.

Be ?ber cautious about anything with cladding or above 14m as fire prevention works quite possible. Councils seem incapable of doing fire prevention works once and getting them right.

[EDResident2018]

A little bit late to the party. We live in a maisonette in a small block, Southwark Council are the few holders.

For us, the experience has been fine. The service charges are reasonable, the ground rent is virtually non existent, and the council have generally been good at responding to queries and issues. As with any leasehold, there are things about your property that you don?t have control over, which can be frustrating, but the flip side is that you pay a lot less for the property in the first place. For us it was an obvious choice, we live in a great area, in a nice, well maintained property, which we otherwise wouldn?t have been able to afford.

I think as long as you set your expectations correctly, read the lease carefully before agreeing to it, you?ll be fine. There are always risks with any type of property.

Just my two cents, as we?ve been happy.