Buying top floor flat but concerned about roof

[Four3y3s]

I am currently in the process of purchasing a top floor flat in a converted building. The current owners own the entire building.

I did a homebuyers survey and the surveyor pointed out there was a missing roof tile and that since it was a partially flat roof construction, the life of the roof may be coming to an end. He then recommended I check with my solicitor who would be responsible for repairing the roof in case of leaks etc. My solicitor reassured me it would be managed by the freeholder.

However another of my concerns is that I have found out (via Google maps) that the missing tile has been missing for approximately 10 years. That's 10 years of rain potentially seeping onto the roof causing damage.

Since the roof isn't my responsibility, can I ask the seller to pay for a roof structural survey?

I may be overthinking it but I thought I smelt a musty smell in one of the rooms, potentially mould from the roof? Everything has been recently painted over so any damage may be covered up.

I don't think you can ask the seller to get a survey done. I think you have to do and pay for that yourself. Otherwise they don't have to show it to you.
If a tile is missing but the roof is properly felted then it may not actually be leaking inside at all. If there is a leak then it will have come through to the inside and the owners will know about it.

I would be concerned about the musty smell. Definitely investigate further but this would be at your cost.

Roof repairs would be managed by the freeholder but ultimately, all leaseholders would usually be jointly responsible for paying the costs.

In my daughters flat, roof repairs are managed by the freeholder but the 4 flat owners all have to pay a share of the cost based on the square footage of their flats. So she has the top floor flat and has to pay 20%, as does the flat under her. The ground floor and basement flats are bigger so they would each pay 30%.

Agree with others - you need to read the lease carefully to see whether you are responsible for paying part of any external repairs (you almost certainly will be and best to go into it understanding what you may be in for). You'll likely be responsible for part of costs of external repairs of the whole envelope - even lower down the building that don't seem like they should concern you. I lived in a top floor flat and had to pay towards damp proofing the basement flat, because ultimately your flat can't exist happily if there are structural problems or maintenance issues elsewhere in the building. The lower bits hold your flat up - just like the roof protects the whole building, not just the top floor.

Sorry - you should also check what service charge there is and if there are any funds paid yearly and reserved for big external repairs. There may be a fund in existence that could pay for at least part of the repairs needed.
I'd be very very wary if the tile has been kissing for that long because that suggests that the building is not being properly managed and maintained and therefore it is unlikely that the missing roof tile will be the only issue.