Are flats really that bad?

[Copyn]

Ever since the cladding scandal and reading discussions on Mumsnet, I’ve had the impression that flats are a nightmare of unpredictable maintenance charges and spiralling service charges. Are flats really that bad?

I should add that house owning on MN looks difficult as well. Seems to be a nightmare of neighbours taking down fences, draining pool water into your garden or pinning sails to your trees. That’s when they’re not pushing ham through your air vents because their cat is trapped inside.

You could get the wrong impression of a lot of things by reading too much Mumsnet!

I live in a beautiful flat but there are pitfalls to avoid or at least know about:

There are still insurance issues around flats above a certain height - so go for a low rise block

Leaseholders of flats in council-owned blocks can be subject to major works bills at short notice - I would avoid and choose a private block

Service charges can vary hugely - look for low maintenance costs. Avoid blocks with a lift or high maintenance costs, so newer blocks (60s/70s) are preferable. They are also more generously proportioned as a rule.

look for a least with at least 100 years to run or a new lease - changes to the law in June 2022 mean any leases (with a few exceptions) issued since then do not attract ground rent.

@dotdotdotdash Thank you. Is there paperwork that suggests what maintenance costs are likely to occur in the future?

@Copyn what happened with ham cat lady?

Last I recall she was trying to get away with paying her neighbours the bare minimum after someone pointed out she has no legal responsibility for her cat.

@Copyn can you please let me know which thread the ham in the air vents is 😂

@Milkmani it was AIBU. She caused a bunch of damage to her brand new neighbours newly refurbished home (they hadn't even moved in) because her cat let itself into their unlocked cat flap and she couldn't get him out for two days.

She was blaming them for not having locked a cat flap. In a home they didn't live in.

Then they asked her for quite a big bunch of money to replace things for new (which they had literally just installed/bought) and she was trying to give them, I forget, 20% of what they asked?

It was interesting to see the wildly varying views on what she should or should not pay for.

Around two months ago, I think.

Your solicitor should make these enquiries for you. I’d recommend you choose a solicitor who has a good understanding of leaseholds too. You will generally pay more for conveyancing but find someone with good reviews.

@Copyn thanks, that’s honestly mad. You hear the wildest stuff on mumsnet, what is wrong with some people 😂

Back to your original question. Yes there can be quite a few charges but it wouldn’t be too dissimilar if you lived in a house on a new build site as I know my sister has quite a few charges to pay on hers. I don’t think they are spiralling costs but your solicitor should check all that in the paperwork. Ask them to point out the particular charge clauses to you so you can double check them and ask questions. Best of luck!

I live in a ground floor garden flat with a very low annual buildings insurance charge and zero ground rent charge. What this does mean is there is no sink fund for repairs to the roof and masonry of the building so when (which will be in the next couple of years I suspect) these works need doing I'm going to have to fork out several thousand pounds for my share of the costs. Otherwise there are no downsides to being in a flat, all my neighbours are Gen X and older professional and retired and keep themselves to themselves.

With a leasehold you won't get a mortgage if a lease has less than 80 years to run, and you can't renew a lease for 2 years after you move in. These are several thousand pounds, if not tens of thousands of pounds to renew. If you let your lease drop below 80 years the freeholders can name their price, any price they choose really, for renewal. Look for properties with 90+ years remaining if you're buying leasehold.

I can't see me ever selling my flat if I'm honest.

I think a lot of problems in life are caused by interaction with other people.

Generally the more parties that interact, the more likely it is that one party will have a different view, or see things differently than others.

So for example in leasehold flats, you have yourself, the freeholder/management company. You also live in closer proximity to your neighbours, sharing access areas and being more vunerable to sounds/smells. Because parking is not closely and obviously associated with one particular flat then issues can arise because of this too.

Generally, interaction with the outside world is best kept to a minimum where possible, because the rest of the world is often mean/scrimping, profiteering, unreasonable/self entitled or just downright batshit.