Home Ownership

We can fit window restrictors in your shared ownership home – contact us on 0800 014 15 45 (Freephone), 8.30am-5pm, Monday-Friday or email housing@soha.co.uk to speak with our customer services team who will arrange this for you. Please be aware that the costs are rechargable.

The safety of you and your household is our first priority – please find more information on window safety here.

If you live in a house you are normally allowed to keep a dog or cat in your home.

Residents of flats are not normally allowed to keep pets unless the lease permits it. Please bear in mind that your lease requires that you and your household do not cause a nuisance to your neighbours. If complaints about pets are received, Soha reserves the right to withdraw consent and you will need to rehome your pet.

If you would like to apply to keep a pet, please complete this form and email it to us homeownership@soha.co.uk.

If you like in a house, you may only extend into your loft space when you have purchased the freehold to your home.

If you live in a flat, you do not own the space above your ceiling rafters and may not extend. No consent will be given for storage of items as this may present a fire hazard and interfere with the efficiency of the loft insulation.

Hard flooring can create noise problems for neighbouring properties in a block of flats, and therefore you must apply to Soha for permission before installing wooden, laminate or ceramic flooring.

If you would like to apply for permission, please complete this form and email it to us homeownership@soha.co.uk.

We will normally give consent for a satellite dish to be fitted to your house or flat unless there are estate conditions imposed by a head landlord or third-party management company.

Please complete this form and email it to us – homeownership@soha.co.uk and we will check the lease and authorise if appropriate.

You are able to work from home for your employer, but most leases do not allow you to run a business from home. If you are unsure, please contact the Home Ownership team for clarification.

We need to have your correct details at all times. Please send us proof of any change of name such as a marriage certificate or decree absolute. You can send this to the Home Ownership team.

Please also ensure we have an up-to-date email address or telephone number so we are able to contact you appropriately. To change your details, please get in touch using the above email address and clearly detail which information needs to be changed.

Your lease sets out how many parking spaces you’re entitled to and where they are.

We will help resolve issues where we can, but we do rely on the co-operation of residents.

Call us on 01235 515 900 or 0800 014 15 45 (Freephone) or email the Home Ownership team who will report this to our dedicated Estates Team.

If you have large items, e.g. white goods or furniture that you’re unable to get rid of yourself, please call your local council who will be able to arrange for it to be collected for a small charge. These should only be left outside of the property on the day of collection.

Some leases in designated protected areas require Soha to repurchase the property if the owner has staircased to over 80%. Please see our Lease buyback process here.

Soha is committed to preventing, identifying, and dealing with all types of anti-social behaviour (ASB) and hate related behaviour and crimes. Please see here for our policy.

To report a death of a shared owner or leaseholder, please email homeownership@soha.co.uk with copy of the Death Certificate and Will.

When a shared owner or leaseholder dies, their property will pass to the beneficiary or beneficiaries identified in their will, or through the intestacy process if no valid will is in place. Any beneficiary or beneficiaries will be liable for the payment of the rent, service charge and any other costs until the home is sold.

Installing CCTV on your home needs our permission and we ask you to fill in our alterations form. Video doorbells do not need permission. Click here for our guidance on the use of CCTV or video doorbells.

If you have any further questions or queries which are not covered in the above information, please contact us on 01235 515 900/ 080 014 15 45 (Freephone) or via email on homeownership@soha.co.uk.