AAAAAAGH, looks like I'm going to be forced to get double glazing

[Botbot]

And pay for it.

I live in an ex-council maisonette which has lovely steel-framed 1920s windows. The estate (low-rise, cottage-style, OK really) has been taken over by a housing association and we've just had a letter about a load of works that are happening over the next year.

This includes replacing all the windows, even on the leasehold properties, with nasty UPVC double-glazed ones. And, of course, we have to cough up for it.

OK, I like the windows I've got (and don't mind the draughts), but it's actually the money that's really upsetting me. Our mortgage is about to go up cos we're at the end of a fixed-rate deal, all our utilities have gone up, council tax is going up, blah blah. I thought we were going to be able to afford a holiday abroad this year - looks like that's not happening.

OK, I know it's not the end of the world. And I suppose it will increase the value of the house - not everyone is sentimental about old windows like we are. But I just wanted a moan about it.

i dont knowthe legalities buit maybe these can help you

www.lease-advice.org/livingframe.htm

oooh thanks. I'll have a look.

You do have the right to challenge the freeholder if you believe the works to be too expensive or unnecessary. Are any of your neighbours in a similar position? If so, band together and approach the housing association as one.

This from Shelter looks sort of helpful (though I only understand half of it!)

No windows in that!

How long is the lease, botbot?

Wendy, that list just means things Botbot has to look after. The freeholder is responsible for the external fabric of the building inc. replacing windows (unless the law has changed since I was a leaseholder and I'm afraid leaseholders do have to cough up for a proportion of the cost of those works. However, they have to give you several quotes and justify that the works are actually necessary. If you disagree, there's a tribunal system.

I'm sure Custy's link is helpful and you could also ask CAB.

Beware - some councils (and I guess HAs these days) used to try and get leaseholders on mixed estates to pay a huge amount of the costs - really stinging the leaseholders for far more than any normal person would consider a fair share. So do check out your rights and challenge if you feel you are being treated badly.

Oh - and this:

single glazed steel frame windows will lose a LOT of heat , though, especially if they're draughty, so I bet if you did the work, your utility bills would go down.

Could you perhaps get secondary glazing, to keep the old windows but make them more efficient at keeping heat in? That shouldn't cost as much.

Can they force the leaseholders to install these windows then, edam? (Your post wasn't there when I last looked!)

(custy's link was about flats, and I can see that a block of flats needs to have matching windows, but houses don't, surely?)

It is a flat - they call them 'maisonettes' round here but it's essentially a small block of four flats (looks like a semi-detatched house). Three of the four flats, including ours, are owned by leaseholders (if that makes sense), but the other two had their own double glazing done years ago, as did everyone else nearby ? we're the only ones being romantic about our original windows. You're right though Tissy, it will make the place cosier and less expensive to heat (and greener as well, I suppose).

I've had a look at the lease and it says more or less what you said in your second post, WW. We knew there would be works happening, but it just hadn't occurred to us that they'd want to replace our windows - we thought that sort of thing only happens in big blocks of flats.

So I think it's a case of stewing until the next letter comes along - Friday's letter says it will arrive 'in the coming weeks' and will contain information about 'your choices'. In the meantime I might just try and get some quotes for DG on the open market, just so I'll have an idea whether the figure they're going to charge us is unreasonable.

Thanks for all this advice.

Just realised I said 'house' in my OP - I meant 'flat'.