New shared ownership properties have a set period within which the housing developer must fix defects.

This varies but is usually 12 months. The 12 months start from when the builder hands over the property to us, not from when you move in.

After this, all repairs are your responsibility as a shared owner. If you want to make improvements to your home, you will need permission from us first.

Your £500 repairs allowance

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.

How do I make a claim?

If you discover a repair that’s needed in your new home, you’ll need to arrange for it to be fixed and claim the cost, up to the value of £500 for each year of the first ten years of ownership, back from us.

You must use a Trustmark-approved tradesperson. You first need to fill in a claim form which can be found here:  Riverside Home Ownership repairs claim form – Riverside

Depending on your claim, we may send a surveyor to inspect the works required.

If your claim is approved, we will arrange for the cost of the repair to be reimbursed to you once the work is complete.

If you break the terms of your lease, we have the right to refuse to pay for the repair. For example, if you cause damage on purpose or do not keep up with routine servicing and maintenance, such as regular boiler servicing. 

Unspent allowance

You can carry any unspent allowance (up to £500) into the following year but cannot roll it over again. The maximum allowance in any one year will be £1,000. Please see the table below for an example of how this work:

We will send an annual repairs allowance statement, so you can keep track of your remaining allowance.

Please be aware that if you sell your home within the first ten years, the remaining balance will transfer to the new shared owner of the property.