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Cardiff Council

www.cardiff.gov.uk

Leaseholders

​​​​​If you have bought a leasehold property (either under the Government’s “Right to Buy” scheme or from an existing leasehold​er) you purchased the lease of that property from the Council.

A lease is a legally binding contract between a Landlord (in this case the Council) and a leaseholder, giving the leaseholder the right to occupy the property for a specified period of time. Before you purchased the property, your solicitor should have explained your lease in full so that you understand both your responsibilities as a leaseholder, and the Council’s responsibilities as Landlord. Your solicitor should have provided you with a copy of the lease at this time.

Unlike purchasing a freehold property, as a leaseholder you do not own the structure of the building (e.g. the exterior walls, windows, roof, communal areas), or the land on which it stands. These remain in the Council’s ownership (as landlord) and the Council is responsible for repairing and maintaining these areas.

You will be charged for your share of any repairs and maintenance carried out to these areas, as well as buildings insurance and a management fee, through an annual service charge. 

If you have any queries please contact the Leasehold Team on 029 2053 7150 or via email leaseholdrtb@cardiff.gov.uk

You can also write to the Leasehold Team at the following address:

Cardiff Council 
Leasehold Team 
P.O. BOX 6000
Cardiff
CF11 0WZ 

 
Service charges are paid to the Council to cover your share of the cost of repairing, maintaining and improving the communal areas and external fabric and structure of the building; buildings insurance cover and services to the property.

The Council has a responsibility to maintain its buildings for the benefit of tenants and leaseholders. Maintenance consists of responsive repairs and planned schemes which help to prolong the life span of the property and are most welcome by tenants and leaseholders. There is no profit margin added to any work carried out by the Council and only actual costs are passed onto the leaseholder under the terms of the lease.

Service charges for leaseholders vary each year and are determined by the works and service carried out. It is not unusual for a service charge bill to be higher compared to a previous year.

Your annual service charge bill is payable on demand under the terms of your lease within 30 days. However, Cardiff Council usually allows repayments via monthly instalments to be cleared by the end of the financial year (31st March).

Your service charge bill may consist of some or all of the following:

  • Cleaning and Caretaking 
  • Repairs / Maintenance 
  • Grounds Maintenance 
  • Buildings Insurance 
  • Heating 
  • Concierge 
  • Communal Electric 
  • Management Fee
 
​

​Payments can be made by credit or debit card using our automated service on 029 2044 5900. 


Please have your account number to hand.​
Leaseholders who are struggling to keep up with payments for either their annual service charge or their mortgage may be able to apply for help from the Department of Work and Pensions.

The help is known as Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI). However the eligibility criteria for SMI are strict and the help available is limited.

To be eligible, you must be in receipt of one of the following:

  • Income Support 
  • Job Seekers Allowance (income-based) 
  • Employment and Support Allowance (income-related) 
  • Universal Credit (unless you or your partner are receiving earned income) 
  • Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit) 
 
​

If you apply for any of these benefits on or after 7 July 2017, you will not be able to get SMI benefit but can get an SMI loan instead.


To claim SMI, visit your local Job Centre or call 0345 604 3719.
Universal Credit customers should call 0345 600 0723.
Pension Credit customers should call the Pension Service on 0345 606 0265.

You will need a copy of you Annual Service Charge Bill to apply. To obtain a copy please telephone Cardiff Council Leasehold Team on 029 2053 7150.

Please note: SMI benefit ends on 5 April 2018, and will be replaced by a loan.

The loan offers the same support for paying your mortgage interest. However, you will need to repay the loan with interest when you sell or transfer ownership of your home. For more advice please visit: www.gov.uk/support-for-mortgage-interest​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​External link opens in a new window​​
The Council has a responsibility to maintain its buildings for the benefit of tenants and leaseholders. Maintenance consists of responsive repairs and planned schemes which help to prolong the life span of the property and are most welcome by tenants and leaseholders.

No profit margin is added to any work carried out by the Council and only actual costs are passed on to leaseholders under the terms of the lease.

You can view information regarding any planned maintenance on the Cardiff Tenants Website​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​External link opens in a new window​​ for council tenants and leaseholders. We will use this space to keep you up to date on the latest news and changes and to let you know about events and how you can get involved.

Register today and you can have your say by taking part in opinion polls and surveys on issues such as repairs and service charges. By registering we can make sure that you are kept informed of events taking place in your area and changes that will affect you.
Cardiff Council offers all tenants and leaseholders home contents insurance at a special low cost rate. This insurance covers most household goods and personal possessions in your home. Find out more about the low cost home contents insurance​ available to leaseholders. Full details of the policy cover are available on request.

If you are interested in taking up this offer please contact Finance Control on 029 2053 7382.

​​Service​​​Phone number
​Automated Payment Line​
​029 2044 5900
​Reporting a Repair Connect 2 Cardiff
​029 2087 2087
​Leasehold Team ​029 2053 7150
​Debt Enforcement Team ​029 2053 7500
​Lease Extensions  ​029 2087 3411​
​Ground Rent  ​029 2053 7150
​Buildings Insurance  ​029 2087 2239
​Parks Department  ​029 2044 5929
​Tenancy Management Team ​029 2053 7501
​Anti-Social Behaviour Team ​029 2053 7199
​Pest Control ​029 2087 2934
​Department for Work and Pensions ​0345 604 3719
​Residential Property Tribunal Wales ​03000 252 777​
 
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Leasehold Advice 


For leasehold advice you can contact the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE). Appointments can be made via their website www.lease-advice.org/​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​External link opens in a new window​ ​  
You can also contact Cardiff Council and other agencies by visiting one of the local hubs​ throughout the city, where customers can access services more quickly and conveniently.​


Report a repair

The Council is responsible for the general structural maintenance of your property. If you have a maintenance issue that you believe should be repaired by the council please report it to us.

Report it

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© 2022 Cardiff Council