Retirement Living

As one of the largest housing groups in the Midlands and East of England, Longhurst Group owns and manages over 23,000 homes. Of those, 4,000 properties are leasehold, shared ownership and retirement living homes.

With a clear set of values that unite the Group, we put our customers first and work in collaboration with partners that share our ambition and vision – Improving Lives.

We have put together some frequently asked questions relating to home ownership. The information contained here is a guide only and will not cover everything. Contact us for more information if your question is not answered here.​

• What do I need to do if I want to sell my property?

  Should you, the lessee, decide to sell your property, you must give notice, in writing, to the Group, together with the name and address of your solicitors.

  In the sad event of death, the personal representatives/solicitors should write to the Group, along with proof of the death certificate. The completion of a sale cannot take place without the representative obtaining probate. 

  Upon notification of the intended sale, guidelines on the marketing of the property will be issues to the lessee or personal representatives.

  Should Longhurst Group not wish to purchase the property, the lessee or personal representatives will be free to sell the property to any qualifying person and they should instruct an estate agent to obtain a valuation.

• Can I rent my property out?

  Your lease will state whether you can sub-let your property. Some leases allow sub-letting with our permission, whilst other leases do not permit sub-letting.

  If you are considering sub-letting your property, look at your lease or contact the leasehold services team for guidance and assistance - click here to request permission.

• Can I carry out home improvements?

  Generally, you can carry out minor works, such as putting up shelves or decorating, without our permission.

  If you plan to carry out major works such as taking down or putting up a wall, or building an extension, you may require our written permission and you should contact us before proceeding with improvements of that nature.

  You will also need to ensure that any major works that we have approved are carried out by a reputable builder and meet all necessary building regulations and local authority planning requirements.

  Any works that change the gas or electrical fittings must be certified that the changes comply with current regulations and certification must be provided once the works are complete.

  If you carry out improvement works without our permission, you may find that you cannot sell your property.

  Please click here to request permission, to make alterations to your home.

• Can I keep pets?

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

  The lease requires you to seek permission from us to keep a domestic pet at your property. To submit a request for permission, click here.

• Buildings insurance – What am I covered for and how do I make a claim?

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

  It is your responsibility to purchase contents insurance, this is not covered in your lease.

  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.

How to pay your rent and service charges

We offer a wide range of payment methods to make it easy for you to pay your rent and service charge. We also offer support to help you manage your payments.

 

Payment methods

Direct Debit
This is the easiest way to pay if you have a bank or building society account. It is simple to arrange and can be set up to be paid on any date and frequency.

There are no extra charges and in the unlikely event of an error, you are guaranteed a refund from your bank or building society.

Please complete our online form to request a direct debit form. 

One-off payment
Please call us on 0345 608 8006 to make a one-off payment.

 

Do you need support?

You can call our customer service team on 0345 608 8006 if you are experiencing issues with paying your rent and service charge.

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
• Request a rent/ service charge statement
• Get access to independent, free organisations that can give you budgeting and debt advice.