Frequently Asked Questions

The increased scale and potential for rapid fire spread is of major concern. As we see from fires in “high rise” buildings across the world it is particularly problematical for fire authorities to fight these fires effectively. Insurers will have expected to lose c.35% of a compliant building in the event of a fire, but where defects are present this is now estimated at much closer to 100%. With the likelihood of an expensive claim now increased, the cost to insure will certainly rise and in many cases insurance companies will be reluctant to provide any cover.

There has been focus on many different types of cladding such as ACM (Aluminium Composite Material) and HPL (High Pressure Laminate) which have grabbed many of the headlines in the press. Just as crucial is the type and combustibility of the insulation that is being used and the compartmentation of areas behind the cladding. Large cavities behind the cladding and ineffective fire barriers can allow fire to spread quickly and increase the scale of loss.

The team at HomeGround have been liaising with the relevant authorities, managing agents and leaseholders to ensure we provide insurers with the relevant information in order to assess the risk, for example:

• Age of building, height of the building
• Type of cladding and insulation and the percentage of the building covered by the material
• Details of any building defects
• Detail of risk controls such as a waking watch, fire alarm or a close at hand full time fire brigade
• Whether there is a remediation programme in place and the timescales of
• Details of the EWS (External Wall Survey) if completed

There have been many media reports regarding buildings without broad insurance cover. The HomeGround team have been diligently working with Brokers and Insurers to ensure that we maintain comprehensive buildings reinstatement cover.

Whilst in some cases there are aspects of additional cover that have been compromised to save costs in terms of inflationary provisions and alternative accommodation limits we have been successful in securing full cover at the best available market rates.

We have agreement with insurers that upon completion of the remedial works that the risk will be reconsidered. With the risk reduced we can expect insurers to lower the premium.

At the time you purchased your home from Countryside (‘completion’) you will have entered into a lease which will state the lease ‘Rent’ that you must pay annually to the freeholder. The lease will also contain a ‘Rent Review Provision’ as one of the terms. Your chosen legal advisor at the time of your completion will have reviewed the Rent and Rent Review Provision along with all other lease terms on your behalf.

The Rent Review Provision originally included in your lease said that the annual Rent you pay to the freeholder will increase after every ten years. For the first five ten yearly increases, your Rent would increase to the greater of either double the previous Rent, or 1/1000th of the ‘capital value’ of your property. For the sixth and all other reviews, the Rent will increase to 1/1000th of the capital value of your property. This original Rent Review Provision is what we refer to above as a Doubling Clause.

In 2018, all leaseholders at the Highmead development were offered a voluntary variation of the Rent Review Provision in their leases to change the way Rent was increased to a method linked to the Retail Prices Index (RPI). If you, or the owner of your home at the time, took up this offer, your lease may have been changed accordingly.  The rent would still increase by RPI every ten years during the term.

As a legal owner of a leasehold property you may need permission from your landlord (usually called consent) before housing a pet at your property. HomeGround manages this process for the landlord.

The starting point should be to check your lease itself to see if there is a “no pet” restriction, or a requirement to obtain the landlords consent before a pet can be kept at the property. You can access and download a copy of your lease from your account on the customer portal for free. Alternatively, we can supply you with a duplicate copy of your lease.

If your lease states that you cannot house a pet at your property without the landlord’s consent, we strongly recommend that you apply prior to housing the pet to avoid any possible disappointment. Our online application form is easy and convenient to use once you have signed onto your account, you can simply apply and make the payment of our fee online.

Once we are in receipt of your application and our non-refundable assessment fee of £50.00 we will carry out our review which will involve:

• checking your lease to see if you are permitted to house a pet at the property
• reviewing the freehold and leasehold titles for any restriction preventing pets from being kept at the property
• consult with the managing agents at the site to see if they have any objections to your request

Our response time is usually 3 – 5 working days to review your request.

We will then tell you whether we are able to grant consent and if we can, provide our licence formally recording the landlord’s consent to house a pet.