Residents who have bought their homes from St Albans City and District Council under a leasehold agreement are to be sent quarterly repair statements and provided with a dedicated officer to handle their queries as part of an initiative to improve the service that they receive.

On 6th October, Cabinet approved an action plan to bring the leasehold management service provided to these residents into line with best practice.

Following feedback gathered through focus groups with Council leaseholders, a number of steps are being taken to improve the management service. These include:
the appointment of a Leasehold and Charges Officer to manage leaseholder relations;
the adoption of clearer communication with leaseholders, for example, through a revised leasehold handbook, an annual leasehold report and better information on the Council’s website;
the provision of quarterly repair summary statements for leaseholders;
the creation of an opportunity for customer feedback, for example, through a survey to assess leaseholders’ satisfaction levels.

The improved service will apply to all those residents who have bought their flats under a lease with the Council either through the government’s right to buy scheme or from other leaseholders who have previously acquired their property from the Council. The Council, as freeholder, is responsible for maintaining the structure of these leasehold flats, of which there are approximately 1,012 in the District, and recouping the cost of repairs from these leaseholders.

Cllr Joyce Lusby, Portfolio Holder for Housing Services at St Albans City and District Council, said: “We have listened to the Council’s leaseholders and taken on board their concerns about the management of their homes. We will continue to improve our communications and procedures so that they are informed about potential repairs and associated costs as early as possible. We hope that these steps will lead to a better relationship between the Council and its leaseholders.”