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 issued 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?

  Internal Improvements
  You have the right to make improvements to the fixtures and fittings within your home without having to seek our permission. However, if you wish to carry out improvements that might potentially affect the emergency call system, heating system or structural integrity of your property, you must obtain our written permission before carrying out any works.

  External improvements
  You are not permitted to make any improvements that would affect the external appearance of your property. However, we will not unreasonably withhold permission for requests to improve access for residents with restricted mobility.
  
  Where we give permission, you are responsible for ensuring that the work complies with any necessary building regulations, planning and health and safety legislation or other requirements.

  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.

• My service charge

  If you require a copy of your service charge budget or have a query regarding your service charge please complete this online form.

• Resident handbook

  You can view and download your residents handbook and purchaser’s information pack here.

How to pay your service charges

We offer a wide range of payment methods to make it easy for you to pay your service charge. We can also offer support to help you manage your payments if you are experiencing financial difficulty.

 

Payment methods

Direct Debit
If you would like to set up a direct debit please call us on 0300 123 1745 and ask for the Leasehold team, who will set this up over the phone. Alternatively you can to request a direct debit form below.

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 service charge.

They can also help you with the following:

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