Sandwell is obliged to arrange buildings insurance cover for your flat/maisonette as per the terms of your lease and a charge will be levied as part of your service charge.
A copy of the insurance policy may be found here.
If you have purchased a council flat (or certain houses in the Charlemont Farm area of West Bromwich) there will be a service charge applicable to the property.
This allows us to recover costs for providing services and maintenance to your building, as well as the cost for insuring the building in which your property is situated.
There will also be a fee for managing the service, and this pays for the costs for providing the service.
There will also be a charge for ground rent which is applicable to all leasehold properties bought under the 'Right to Buy' scheme.
Major works and repairs
It will be necessary from time to time to carry out major works to the building in which your property is situated. You will be charged an apportionment of all charges for work of this nature.
Standard repair items must be reported to your local repair team. Normally, we will only be able to perform works of an external nature to leasehold properties; repairs to the interior of the property will usually be the leaseholder's responsibility.
For more information on major works, repairs and repairing obligations, please contact Home Ownership Services.
Frequently asked questions about your leasehold repairs statement can be found here.
Contact us
The Home Ownership Service is responsible for administering your charges, and can provide advice and guidance in all matters relating to leasehold management.
You can email us leasehold_services@sandwell.gov.uk or call us on 0121 569 5203.
Please be aware as of 1 May 2024, leasehold_services@sandwell.gov.uk will no longer receive emails our new email address will be home_ownership@sandwell.gov.uk
Payments
There are several easy ways to pay your bills.
You can set up a Direct Debit here or pay your bill over the telephone by calling 0300 456 0514. More information on ways to pay can be found here
Having trouble paying your leasehold bills?
If you are having trouble with paying your leasehold bills please email us on leasehold_services@sandwell.gov.uk or call us on 0121 569 5203.
Please be aware as of 1 May 2024, leasehold_services@sandwell.gov.uk will no longer receive emails our new email address will be home_ownership@sandwell.gov.uk.
Leasehold Handbook
The Leasehold Handbook explains your rights and responsibilities, a well as the Council's responsibilities as your Landlord. It also gives details of housing services and other useful information. It has been produced to help you understand what being a leaseholder means.