Shared Owners

Shared ownership is a government-supported scheme that allows you to buy a percentage share of a home and pay rent on the part you don’t own. Over time, you may be able to buy additional shares, depending on your circumstances and the terms of your lease.

Shared Ownership = your home is leasehold, and you have both homeowner and tenant responsibilities.

You buy an initial share of the property – usually between 10% and 75% – using a mortgage and deposit. You then pay rent to us on the remaining share.

Your lease sets out:

• Your rights and responsibilities
• How rent and service charges are calculated
• Rules about repairs, alterations and selling your home

Shared ownership is different from full ownership. It’s important to understand both roles before committing.

As a shared owner, you’ll usually need to budget for:

• Mortgage payments on the share you own
• Rent on the share you don’t own (usually increases each year in line with your lease)
• Service charges for maintaining and managing the building and shared areas
• Repairs and maintenance inside your home
• Buildings insurance (often recovered through service charges)

Some costs can change over time, and unexpected repairs can arise. Understanding this early can help you plan with confidence.

Your service charge includes a management fee. This fee covers the cost of managing your building or estate and supporting the services you receive. It includes:

• preparing the annual service charge budget

• collecting and administering service charge payments

• producing audited end‑of‑year accounts

• providing annual accounts to leaseholders and shared owners

• access to a 24/7 emergency telephone line (0344 736 0063) for urgent building issues

• arranging and administering buildings insurance

• providing advice and support on day‑to‑day management matters

• responding to standard customer enquiries

Some tasks, such as one‑off requests or specialist work, may be charged separately as administration fees. You can ask us for a full list of these charges.

As a shared owner, you are usually responsible for day-to-day repairs and maintenance inside your home. This can include plumbing, electrics, fixtures and fittings, and general upkeep.

We remain responsible for certain structural elements and shared parts of the building, as set out in your lease. Your lease also explains rules around alterations, subletting and use of the property.

If you’re unsure about who is responsible for a repair or issue, we encourage you to contact us for clarification.

Find out more about reporting a repair here.

Staircasing is the process of buying additional shares in your home. You don’t have to staircase, and it’s important to consider whether it’s right for you.

Staircasing usually involves:

• A property valuation
• Legal and valuation fees
• Changes to your rent and service charges as your ownership share increases

Buying more shares can reduce the rent you pay, but it can also increase your financial exposure to property values and future costs. We recommend getting independent financial advice before staircasing.

If you decide to sell your shared ownership home, your lease sets out the process you must follow. This often includes a nomination period, where we or another provider may have the opportunity to find a buyer who meets shared ownership eligibility criteria.

There may be costs involved, such as valuations, legal fees, and potential marketing costs. We’ll explain the steps involved, the likely timescales, and what support is available, so you understand the process before you proceed.

Find out more about selling your shared ownership home here.

We strongly recommend getting independent financial and legal advice before buying, staircasing or selling a shared ownership home.

Independent advice can help you:

• Understand whether shared ownership is right for you
• Compare it with other options
• Understand long-term financial commitments