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Information for Shared Owners of Basildon Council properties.
General Information regarding Shared Ownership of Leasehold Properties.
There are two types of leasehold property involved in ‘Shared Ownership’, these are:
- Shared ownership freehold property
- Shared ownership leasehold property (otherwise called privately built leasehold property).
Basildon Council Shared Ownership Freehold Property
These are properties in which Basildon Council still retains an interest in ownership of the property (often 50%).
The lessee has a lease relating to the share which she/he owns.
The lessee pays rent to Basildon Council for the share still owned by the Council.
When the lessee buys the remaining share of the property, the freehold of the property is transferred to the purchaser and Basildon Council ceases to have any interest.
Shared ownership leasehold property (otherwise called privately built leasehold property).
These are flats where the Council owns the freehold of the Estate.
In most cases there is a management company, which looks after the management of the estate.
Where the lessee does not have a 100% interest she/he will have a shared ownership lease, which requires that she/he will pay rent to the Council for the share of the property still owned by the Council. She/He will also pay service charges to the management company (see below).
When the lessee buys the remaining share from the Council, the lessee does not get the freehold (which is retained by the Council) but is entitled to another lease. The Council continues to hold the freehold interest. The lessee will cease to pay shared ownership rent but will continue to pay ground rent and the service charges (see below).
The management (or residents) company:
- has a lease from the Council of the amenity areas and the structure of the buildings.
- is responsible for maintenance of the structure of the buildings and these amenity areas and insurance.
- makes a service charge which is payable by the lessees whether they are shareowners or 100% leasehold.
- pays a ground rent to the Council.
There are some lessees where there is no management company. These are usually leases of maisonettes where there are two in a block (one of the ground and one of the upper floor).
Management Companies and Shared Ownership.
Management companies exist to manage the structure of the buildings and the communal areas as stipulated in the individual leases of flats.
Each lessee of a flat should be a member of the management company relating to his or her estate.
If you feel that there is any malpractice within the management company in carrying out its duties and responsibilities, you should immediately contact the Home Ownership Team on 01268 465098 who will investigate your enquiries and respond appropriately.
Sub-letting
All Shared Ownership Tenants require a licence to sub-let their property.
This can be obtained by writing to Basildon Council's legal department at The Basildon Centre, St Martin’s Square, Basildon, Essex SS14 1DL.
If you sub-let your property... as you are still the legal owner you will still be responsible for paying your monthly rent on the percentage of the property still owned by Basildon Council. So please remember, if you sub-let your property it is vital that we are aware of your new correspondence address.
Purchase of a further or remaining percentage of a property (known as 'Staircasing')
St Georges Home Ownership Team processes applications from lessees who own a proportion of a Basildon Council shared ownership property and who wish to purchase a further or final share of their home.
This process of purchasing a further or final share of their home is commonly referred to as 'staircasing'.
If you wish to staircase, then please contact St Georges Home Ownership Team on 01268 465090 for details of how to proceed.
You may even be eligible for a discount.
Shared Ownership Rent Payments
Shared ownership properties are held on a leasehold basis where the Lessee owns a part share (often via a mortgage) and the remaining share is rented from the local authority.
Rent is due in advance on a monthly basis.
Rent payments can be made by standing order, credit/debit card or by cash in the Basildon Centre’s cash office.
If the shared owner falls into arrears a procedure will be followed to recover outstanding payments due to Basildon Council.
If you would like to pay by Standing Order, then please contact the Home Ownership Team on 01268 465098 and they will send you a mandate that you will need to hand into your bank/building society.
Buying or Selling your Shared Ownership Property
Moat Homes Limited deals with the shared ownership of Basildon Council housing property within the Basildon District.
Moat Homes Limited can be contacted direct by telephone on 07002 662846 or visit the Moat Homes website. 
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