Your property comes with a £500 repairs allowance per year, for the first 10 years.
This is not intended to cover all costs or improvements that you will face as a homeowner. However, it is limited to the costs of keeping in repair and proper working order, the fixtures, and fittings that:
- supply water, gas or electricity - for example sinks, baths or pipes
- heat your home, for example, a boiler or radiator
- support the structure of the building e.g. windows, doors or walls
- any administration fee or insurance excess in respect of a warranty may be claimed
It does not include:
- installing other fixtures (such as kitchen cabinets) and fittings
- installing appliances that use your gas, electricity or water supplies, such as ovens or washing machines
- works cannot be claimed in respect of any work that is covered under a warranty, insurance policy or guarantee
Once the Initial Repairs Period has passed and any applicable guarantee or warranties have expired, you as the leaseholder will be fully responsible for any repairs and will be liable for all costs regardless of your share in the property.
Can I use any contractor?
No. We as the landlord need to approve the Qualifying General Repairs and Maintenance Works in advance and the works must be carried out by tradespeople approved by the landlord or by a TrustMark approved tradespersons. Visit the TrustMark website where you can find TrustMark approved tradespersons.
Is there a limit to the number of claims that can be made?
No, there is no limit on the number of claims that can be made in any one year but the maximum you can claim in any one year is £500, unless you have an unspent amount from a previous year (which has not been rolled over).
Can I use the allowance as a part payment towards any eligible repair?
Yes you can. If you use part of the contribution and claim for a repair that will exceed your remaining balance, you will be required to pay the remainder.
Can I use the allowance for any work under a warranty or guarantee?
No, you can't use the allowance towards the costs of any Qualifying General Repairs and Maintenance Works that is covered under a warranty, insurance policy or guarantee, although any administration fee or insurance excess in respect of a claim under the same may be claimed.
What happens to the allowance if I sell my property?
If your home is resold through the shared ownership scheme within the 10 year period, any remaining allowance will be transferred to the new leaseholder.
How do I make a claim?
To make a claim for the cost of your repairs you must get pre-approval from us before you get the work done. We will only consider retrospective claims where work has been done in an emergency.
You can fill in the form below to register your claim for approval.
What will happen once I submit my claim?
Once we receive your claim for approval, we’ll check through all the information you give us. We may need to ask you for more information to review your claim. Once we’ve approved or refused your claim internally, we’ll confirm the decision with you. If you claim is refused, you’ll have the opportunity to have this reviewed.
Do not start work until your claim for approval has been accepted
Can my claim be refused?
Yes, it is possible that your claim could be refused and below are some common reasons why:
- The repair is not covered by the scheme. The allowance only applies to services and heating, other elements would not be covered by the allowance but could still be covered by guarantees or warranties from the developer
- The repair is not going to be completed by a company registered with Trustmark
- The component has not been routinely serviced/maintained with evidence to support this
- The repair has been caused deliberately through an act or omission
- Information requested (to process the claim) has not been provided
Register approval before starting work
Register your claim for approval using the form below. You must include:
- a photograph of the repair
- a report with details of the issue
- a quote from a Trustmark registered professional to complete the work
- your payment details
We’ll confirm that the work has been approved within 10 working days. Once we’ve confirmed you can go ahead and get the work done.
Complete our pre-repair claim form
What happens after the repair has been carried out?
Once the work has been completed you can use the form below to provide evidence of the completed repair and receipts to recover your costs (up to £500 each year). We will contact you to obtain your bank details so that payment can be made by BACS.
