About your lease

If your home is a flat or maisonette, it is part of a larger building which is divided up into individual units. There will usually be another property above, below or next to yours, but still within the same building. Each property shares things such as the roof, the foundations and the entrance halls and stairs of the building and we need to look after these shared parts of the building. Leasehold ownership is where we share the cost of doing this between all the people who live in the building.

Your lease is a type of tenancy and is a legal agreement between you and your landlord, which allows you to live in your home for a set period. This is usually 125 years starting from when the first property in your building was sold. This is known as a lease term.

The lease sets out what the landlord and you own and what you are responsible for. Your leaseholder handbook explains your rights, your responsibilities, the responsibilities of WHBC and what charges you may face.