Buying a flat in a council owned block - the worst case scenario with maintenance charges?

[CatAndHisKit]

Considering a flat, very good layout, location etc, but being put off by scares on MN threads saying that the council can charge huge amount for someting like roof repairs from the private flat owners.
I was, for this reason, only considering very low block, two storey, s that scaffold wouldn't be expensive or eve needed.

This is a 3-storey block with about 15 flats but majority still council owned. Rood has obviously not changed for a wgile and saffold would be definitely needed.
On the plus side, service charges ar very low compared to private - also presumably easier to buy lease extension when needed.
Also it's a quiet, well-run block so that council is 'good'.

I just wanted to hear from anyone who owned / knows about such flats, and what is the absolute worst that council could demand for roof repairs - actual amount? btw this is not London.

You might also want to look at the meters and such like

A friend of mine had this recently, he inherited some money from his father and bought the flat he was living in.

THen the council did upgrades, including a sprinkler system and a fire resistant door to the kitchen, overhauled the lift, new flooring and decoration of communal areas, new intercom system.

Because he had only recently bought the place his share was reduced but still a huge amount.

But, they don't charge until the work is complete and everyone is satisfied, my friend had then come back to redecorate where the door fitters had made a scratch in the paintwork.

And another but, he has 20 years to pay with no interest so it is affordable and he gains a safer flat.

@Nat6999 makes good points. The block my friend was in used to be over 30s only, when it stopped being the council and began being the company it is now they got rid of the over 30s rule.

Personally I thought it was a good rule, the flats are all 1 or 2 bedroomed with no where to play any where near so not a good place for a family.

@earsup

my friend has one...was told when he bought it, by council officer, that the council dont like people who buy them...labour council....paid 10k for lift....5k for new windows but he didnt need or want them....3k for a new front door to meet new fire regs...nothing wrong with old door as only 2 years old....some councils will do lots of extra work and charge you....others...usually tory won't...proceed with caution...!!..check if the 5 year cycle of works has been done or any proposals....

Because of course, Tories would never be linked with sleaze, giving contracts to their mates, incompetence running large scale projects etc. Oh. Wait...

I wouldn't buy anything with "communal" costs
Flats
Houses with shared driveways
Anything leasehold

Just buy a house less trouble

Just buy a house less trouble

Not everyone can afford a house.

As an ex-LA leaseholder I would never ever buy one again. Only had the flat for seven years but in that time got a couple of bigger bills, one for around 8-9k and another for 3.5k, and numerous smaller ones for things like tree maintenance somewhere in the estate. It was very disheartening when I could not afford to do any work in my kitchen because of these bills and then watch one neighbour getting a brand new kitchen installed for free. Had a few very undesirable neighbours although of course some very nice ones too.

We lived in an ex local authority block for 13 years. The highest charge we got hit with was £1800 for redecorating. Aside from that everything else seemed to get covered by the £80 per month service charge. This was a small block with 15 flats. There are definite upsides to it - when the roof needed replacing we didn't have to pay a penny as it was the freeholder's responsibility.

Have the windows been replaced with double glazed? We had an ex council one, where windows in the block (a nice, low rise one) were due to be replaced ‘at some point’, which was going to cost about £8k per flat.

We sold it (for other reasons) before that happened, but windows have since been replaced.

You really need to say the individual council as like with all freeholders some are terrible while others are ok.

If you don't want to say then you need to Google the council and see what cases/stories come up about them.

I've heard plenty of horror stories about freeholders including councils, but then lots where they are ok.

Even then that only shows their general attitude to maintenance, and depending on the age of the building you are buying a flat in their attitude may be different.

Lots of councils are trying to get rid of their older properties completely so check what happens if the majority of the flats end up being privately owned. Also check that they have no plans to knock down the building due to regeneration, or put another floor of flats on top which I've seen happen to both private and council blocks.

I lived in a period flat in London and the council was the leaseholder. I was billed 20k in the early ‘90s for roof repairs, scaffolding, replacement windows and painting the facade. God knows what the cost would be now. I was also burgled - via the scaffolding.

Sorry, I meant the council was the freeholder.