Repairs and Maintenance
Repairs and Maintenance
How can you find out what your rights and responsibilities are?
To understand your rights and responsibilities when it comes to repairs and maintenance of your home, you should refer to the details of your lease. This will confirm your rights and responsibilities.
If you cannot find a copy of your lease document you can request a copy of your lease from the solicitor you used when you purchased your home, view your lease within our Heylo Customer Portal or you can request a copy from our Customer Care team.
If you’re still unsure about anything to do with repairs and maintenance of your Shared Ownership home please contact the Customer Care team:
New Model Shared Ownership Leases
If you hold a New Model Lease and are within the initial repair period, you may be able to claim up to £500 each year for essential repairs to your home.
Some essential repairs include:
- Water, gas and some electrical installations
- Sanitation systems e.g. sinks, basins, baths and toilets
- Hot water systems
- Roof, external walls and fabric of the building
Repairs or maintenance that is not eligible:
- Decoration and flooring
- Routine safety checks e.g. boiler servicing
- Applicance repairs or installation
How to make an allowance claim?
If you require a repair that is covered by the Initial Repairs Period you will first need to send all the details to Heylo for review and approval.
If your repair is internal, once the repair has been approved you will need to arrange for a contractor to carry out the repairs.
Please contact our customer care team detailing what repairs are required.
Once your initial request has been approved, you will need to arrange the repairs yourself. You must use a Trustmark-approved tradesperson or professional. You can find a local tradesperson on the Trustmark website:
Once completed, you can submit a claim for reimbursement of the costs under the repairs allowance.
You will need to provide proof of the works completed, including photographs, along with an invoice. We may request access to the property if necessary for us to assess whether the works meet the definition of Qualifying General Repairs and Maintenance Works.
For external works, please raise your claim to the customer care team and we'll be responsible for procuring and paying for essential repair works to the structure of the house. These may be carried out through warranties or insurance providers.
What happens if I don’t claim the allowance?
If you don't use the £500 set aside for your repairs each year it will be carried forward into the next year.
It can only carry forward to a maximum of £1,000 - the table below illustrates what this might look like.
| Repairs allowance | Allowance claimed for repairs | Amount rolled over to next year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | £500 | £0 | £500 |
| Year 2 | £1,000 (£500 + £500) | £750 | £250 |
| Year 3 | £750 (£500 + £250) | £0 | £500 |
There's no limit on the number of claims that can be made in any one year. However, you won't be able to claim for values above the banked allowance.
Unfortunately it is not possible to transfer your lease type to the New Model Shared Ownership leases if you do not have one already.
For more information please see our Repairs and Maintenance Policy
Repairs and Maintenance
Frequently Asked Questions
When was I informed of my rights and responsibilities when it comes to repairs and maintenance of my property?
How do I know if Heylo shares responsibility for repairs and maintenance of my home?
I can’t find a copy of my lease document. What should I do?
Do you have a repairs policy?
It looks like Heylo does share responsibility for repairs and maintenance of my home, what does this cover?
During the initial repair period, Heylo is responsible for the cost of:
essential repairs to the outside of the building
essential structural repairs to walls, floors, ceiling and stairs inside your home
During this period you can also claim up to £500 a year from Heylo to cover repairing, replacing (if faulty) and maintaining fixtures and fittings that:
supply water, gas or electricity - for example sinks, baths or pipes
heat your home, for example a boiler or radiator
I bought my home through Heylo’s Home Reach Shared Ownership scheme and I am responsible for all repairs and maintenance for my property, what do I need to consider?
While you are responsible for repairs and maintenance of your home, as you purchased a brand new home you will usually have a 2 year housebuilder warranty. Under this warranty it is the housebuilders responsibility to fix any defects / snags that you report to them. You must do this within first 2 years of occupying the property and please note some defects will not be covered (for example, very small areas of shrinkage).
In addition to the 2 year housebuilder warranty, you will also usually have a 10 year warranty, usually provided by either The National House Building Council (NHBC), or The Local Authority Building Control (LABC). This warranty provides you with cover for structural defects that may appear.
I bought my home through Heylo’s Your Home Gradual Homeownership scheme. What are my rights and responsibilities when it comes to repairs and maintenance of my home?
If you purchased your home via Heylo’s Your Home scheme then you will be responsible for all repairs to your home and for the maintenance of your home.
If you purchased your home after July 2023 then it’s likely you will have been asked to complete a RICS Level 2 Homebuyers Report prior to exchange of contract.
We ask customers to organize this report prior to purchase so they are fully aware of any immediate repairs needed to the property they are looking to buy.
I am fully responsible for repairs and maintenance of my home but I have recently become disabled and required aids and adaptations to my home. Is there any support from Heylo available?
If you need to adapt your home because of a disability or old age, you can apply to the council for equipment or help. This is not something Heylo are able to provide.
You can find your local council by using the Government website -
www.gov.uk/apply-home-equipment-for-disabled
Can I switch lease type so that Heylo’s shares responsibility for my repairs and maintenance to my home?
Unfortunately, you cannot change lease. The lease you signed prior to completing on your home is the lease that remains in effect until you staircase to full ownership or sell your home.
What can I do if Heylo rejects my claim?
After we have received all the information supporting your claim we will review your claim and if we reject your claim request we will provide you with the reasons why within 7 days.
What should I do if I am unhappy with the customer service I have received from Heylo while trying to log a repair, or with quality of workmanship relating to a repair organized by Heylo?
It is highly regrettable whenever we hear about Heylo customers being unhappy with the service we, or any partner we work with and if you are unhappy with the service you have received from us, or any company we partner with to deliver our services, we strongly encourage you to make a formal complaint so that we can investigate the issues.
For more information on making a complaint, please click link below.
How many times can I claim per year?
There is no limit on the number of claims that you can submit in any one year provided the aggregate value of the claims does not exceed the General Repairs and Maintenance Allowance available for that particular year.
What if further works are required or there is an issue with the repair?
Any costs you incur for any general repairs and maintenance remain your responsibility. The acceptance of a claim by Heylo is an agreement to make a contribution towards your costs up to the maximum available allowance and is not an acceptance by Heylo of liability for the works required or carried out.
If there are issues with a previous repair you should contact the tradesperson who carried out the works.
Can i make home improvements to my property and who will cover this cost?
You can paint, decorate and refurbish a shared ownership home, for example replace a kitchen or bathroom – Heylo is not responsible for this.
You might need written permission from us to make structural changes so before carrying out any works, please contact us and we will let you know what information we need or whether you require our approval.
Who is responsible for repairs and maintenance for communal areas of my apartment block or housing estate?
The Managing Agent or Estate Management Company are responsible for any repairs and ongoing maintenance of communal areas in your apartment block and/or on your housing development. This will include fire risk assessments and lift maintenance.
If should report any maintenance or repairs required to communal areas of your apartment block and/or housing development to the appointed Managing Agent in the first instance. If you do not get a response for them within the timeframe they provide you with then you should let Heylo know so we can prompt them to respond to you.
