Leasehold Services Introduction

Leasehold Services at Ashford Borough Council provides essential support to residents who own their homes through leasehold arrangements, this could be a flat or a shared ownership house. The service ensures that leaseholders receive accurate billing, support with queries and responsive customer care, while maintaining compliance with housing legislation and council policies.

Our Leasehold Services team is responsible for:

• Service Charge Management: Calculating and issuing quarterly estimates and annual service charges, including reconciliation and notifications.
• Arrears Recovery: Monitoring unpaid service charges, buildings insurance, ground rent and major works charges, issuing reminders and formal notices, and working with leaseholders to agree payment terms or escalate to enforcement where necessary.
• Legal & Property Transactions: Supporting lease reassignments, Right to Buy completions, and Council buy-backs with accurate documentation and financial accounts.
• Customer Support: Handling queries and complaints related to service charges, insurance, repairs, and anti-social behaviour, or sign-posting leaseholders to the relevant team within the authority.
• Insurance & Rent Reviews: Administering annual building insurance renewals, ground rent, and shared ownership rent reviews.
• Data & Compliance: Maintaining accurate and up-to-date leaseholder records, ensuring GDPR compliance.

We aim to deliver:

• Transparent and timely communication with leaseholders.
• Accurate financial administration for all due charges
• A professional and responsive service that reflects the Council’s values and housing objectives.

Further information about being a leaseholder can be found by reading our Leaseholder Handbook. For more information about Right to Buy, please visit our Right to Buy page.

Whether you're a current leaseholder or exploring Right to Buy, our team is here to help. Our contact details are: