Shared owners

Your lease is a legally binding document between you (the leaseholder) and Amplius (your landlord). It sets out your rights and responsibilities and those of your landlord. It gives you the right to live in the property for a fixed period of time as long as you comply with the conditions set out within it.

Before you purchased your property your solicitor should have explained the terms and conditions of your lease to you. If you have any queries please contact us, or alternatively you may wish to seek independent advice, for example from Citizens Advice, the Leaseholder Advisory Service (LEASE) or your own solicitor. We may also be able to provide you with a copy, but there will be a charge.

Homes built through the 2021-2026 Homes England funding programme are subject to the new model Shared Ownership lease. If this applies to a property you’re interested in, you’ll have different options for staircasing and will enter into a lease of at least 990 years. 

The new model lease also includes changes to who is responsible for ongoing repairs and maintenance, with leaseholders eligible to claim up to £500 each year for the first ten years to put towards general repairs that affect your heating and domestic services such as electric and plumbing.

You can find out more about the new model shared ownership lease here. 

Under the shared ownership scheme and the terms of your lease, you're able to purchase further shares in your home to enable you to gradually build up the amount you own. This process is called staircasing. Read Steve's* story here on how he's used staircasing on his shared ownership home.

Please note, you'll continue to pay rent on the unacquired proportion that you don't own, however if you purchase all of the remaining shares of the property you'll not be required to pay rent. In some cases you may be required to pay a service charge.

If you require further assistance with staircasing please contact our Sales Team on 0345 601 9095.

Find out how to extend your lease - and the costs involved - by clicking here and reading a step-by-step guide.

Your lease will determine whether you can carry out any alterations or additions.

We would therefore recommend you first check your lease agreement to see whether the alteration or addition you are considering is permitted and/or needs our prior consent.

A copy of your lease will have been provided by your Solicitor when you purchased the property. We can provide a copy of your lease at a charge if required.

Please note alteration permissions will not be granted within the initial 12 month defect period on a new build Shared Ownership property.

There is a fee payable for us to process your permission request. You can request up to five alterations within one alteration permission fee, therefore if you’re considering any other alterations within the next 12 months please submit these at the same time.

If your lease states, you need permission for alterations and/or additions, please click here to request permission to make alterations to your home. 

In accordance with your lease you may be charged an additional fee for the administration of requests such as, home improvements and pet permissions. The fee must be paid prior to any request being granted. Please note, if you proceed without obtaining permission a retrospective permission fee will be charged. Please click here to view our fee schedule.

Contents insurance is designed to help protect your possessions. No matter how careful you are, there’s always a risk that your belongings could be broken, damaged or stolen so home contents insurance can help provide peace of mind.

It's your responsibility to purchase contents insurance, as this isn't covered in your lease.

To find out more about buildings insurance, please click here.

Houses

You're normally responsible for all repairs and maintenance to your property, however you may pay a service charge contribution towards communal areas such as unadopted roadways and public open space which we maintain.

If you need to report a communal repair, please call 0800 111 4013.

Flats

You're normally responsible for the internal repairs to your property. For communal repairs, please report these by calling 0800 111 4013.

If you're unsure of your repair responsibilities, please check you lease or transfer for further details or call us on 0800 111 4013.

Usually, your lease will say whether you're allowed to keep a domestic pet at your property.

If your lease permits you to keep a pet, you're still required to seek our permission.

Are there any exceptions?

Assistance dogs, such as guide dogs for the blind, hearing dogs for the deaf or dogs for the disabled, will always be permitted. The Equality Act 2010 prohibits anyone renting or selling a property from discriminating against a disabled person; this includes discriminating against a person with an assistance dog.

What pets aren’t allowed? 

Dogs listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and any animals listed in the Schedule of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 will not be given permission to live in one of our homes unless copies of a government certificate of exemption and insurance are provided. This is to protect the health and safety of any customers and Amplius employees who may come into contact with them.

For up-to-date guidance, please visit the government's website.  

For more information on controlling your dog in public, please click here.

To submit a request for permission, please click here.

Our grounds maintenance contractors maintain the communal grounds of our estates. The number of visits each month depends on the time of year. For example, grass cutting will take place more regularly during the growing season.

If your home comes with a grounds maintenance service, you can expect the following:

If you're a former Grand Union customer, follow this link: Estate services

If you're a former Longhurst Group customer, follow these links: 

• Grounds maintenance
• Cleaning service

If you're unsure, follow these links:  

• Grounds maintenance
• Cleaning service

Shared Ownership leases prohibit subletting to protect public funds and ensure homes are not used for commercial gain. However, Amplius will consider allowing subletting in exceptional circumstances in line with The Capital Funding Guide from Homes England. 

The Capital Funding Guide (CFG) from Homes England outlines the general rules and procedures that must be followed for grant-funded schemes.  

 The leaseholder must demonstrate their request is truly exceptional and unavoidable circumstances in line with The Capital Funding Guide from Homes England and must provide written approval from their Mortgage Lender, where applicable.   

 The Leaseholder must provide an Assured Shorthold Tenancy to the tenant subletting, and a copy must be issued as part of the request, evidencing the tenants Right to Rent.   

 Some examples of "exceptional circumstances" that may be considered include: 

• Being a serving member of the armed forces and being deployed away from home for a fixed period.  
• Needing to move temporarily to become the primary carer for a relative.  
• Facing significant delays or an inability to sell your property due to issues such as building safety concerns.  
• A temporary work secondment in a different location.   

You also need to consider the new requirements for landlords taking effect from 1^st May 2026 Explainer: everything you need to know about the new Renters’ Rights Act – MHCLG in the Media 

We will review every request on a case-by-case basis to review the specific circumstances.  Please note if your sublet request is agreed there is a fee payable. 

If you wish to enquire about subletting your shared ownership property, please complete the Shared Ownership Subletting enquiry form.

If you decide to sell your home, please email assignments@amplius.co.uk confirming your details and a member of the Sales Team will arrange for you to receive a selling letter and a copy of our document called 'Guidance Notes For Selling Your Home'. 

These'll provide you with all the information you'll need to help you with the selling process and explain the next steps for placing your home on the market.

Our promise to you

• We'll provide you with guidance notes and selling information to help you place your property on the market.
• We'll liaise with your appointed estate agent to ensure they have the necessary information to market your property correctly, including application forms and eligibility requirements, the share available for sale, the lease term and ongoing rent/service charge costs.
• We'll provide your appointed estate agent with the information they require to help potential purchasers complete an Application Form.
• Once you've found a buyer, we'll provide them with a copy of our ‘Your Lease and Your Rights’ booklet, which helps explain our responsibilities as landlord and important information regarding their own ongoing responsibilities as a shared owner.
• Our dedicated Sales Team and appointed solicitor will work closely with your own solicitor to ensure they have all the necessary information to progress your sale as smoothly as possible.

Please note that you'll be required to appoint a solicitor to act on your behalf and you'll be responsible for your own costs and payments upon resale as detailed within your lease.

If you'd like to view your rent or service charge account, please log on to your customer portal.

If you require a copy of your Service Charge Budget or have any queries concerning this, please complete this online form.

You can call our Homeownership Team on 0800 111 4013 or visit our contact us page if you're experiencing issues with paying your rent and service charge. 

To view your account log into your customer portal.

They can also help you with the following:

• Discuss your rent and service charge account.
• Find out more about any of the ways to pay your rent and service charge.
• Get advice on benefits you may be entitled to.
• Get access to independent, free organisations that can give you budgeting and debt advice.

If you'd like to give permission to a named person (a relative or close friend) to discuss matters relating to your tenancy or lease (including your contact details) please contact us.

There are many ways you can get involved.

Joining one of our groups is a great way of developing new and existing skills, gaining experience and meeting new people, as well as helping to improve the services you receive from us.

Please visit our get involved page to find out more.