Homeowner FAQs

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 there is direct access to a private (not communal) garden from the flat. Please bear in mind that your lease requires that you and your household do not cause a nuisance to your neighbours.

If complaints are received, Soha reserve the right to withdraw consent and you will need to rehome your pet.

If you live 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.

Please be careful when choosing flooring, as hard flooring may lead to noise transference to other parts of the building.

If you live in a ground floor flat we will normally give consent for hard flooring, unless there are restrictions imposed by a head landlord. If we need to ask consent from a head landlord there is usually a charge for dealing with the request; we’ll find out what the charge is and ask you to pay before we seek consent on your behalf.

Unless it involves structural work or access to another part of a communal building, you do not need permission to:

• replace your bathroom suite
• install a new fitted kitchen
• rewire your home
• carry out plumbing work
• install central heating
  
  

We do not permit extensions, including roof extensions, to blocks of flats.

Check your lease to see if your plan shows which fence(s) you own – they’re usually marked with an inward ‘T’. If fences are not marked, you can reasonably assume that fences between gardens are shared with your neighbours.

Download our boundaries made easy leaflet for more information and please consult your neighbours before removing or altering any existing fencing.

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. If you need consent there may be an administration charge to pay. Please contact us before you sign up for your TV subscription.

There may also be planning restrictions on the number of dishes on a block of flats – please speak to the planning department of your local council.

Under the terms of your lease you should ask our consent before operating a business from your home. We will usually give consent, unless we feel your proposed business may cause a nuisance to your neighbours.

If you’re a shared owner, your home was sold to you on the basis that it is, and will remain, your main residence. In special circumstances we will consider requests to allow short-term renting, but you may not rent out your home long term.

As a leaseholder, you may rent out your flat as long as your mortgage provider does not object. You don’t need Soha’s permission, but you should let us know your new contact address.

If you rent your property, you will still be liable for any buildings insurance, rent and service charges and responsible for rectifying any problems caused by your tenant.

Yes, however please remember that you are responsible for any nuisance caused by members of your household, which would include any lodgers.

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.

We recognise that parking is often a problem, especially where demand for spaces exceeds availability. We will help to resolve issues where we can, but we do rely on the co-operation of residents.

Your lease sets out how many parking spaces you’re entitled to and where they are. Please don’t park anywhere else. Where there are visitors’ spaces they are for the benefit of all residents’ visitors and should be left free for that purpose.

Call or email our legal and leasehold team if there are problems with the collection of refuse or recycling from your communal bin store, or if you see anyone dumping items or misusing the bin store. We treat all calls in strict confidence.

If you have large items, eg 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.