What is a Lease?

  • A lease is a contract between the leaseholder and South Cambridgeshire District Council giving conditional ownership for a fixed period of time.
  • It is an important document and leaseholders must make sure that they keep their copy in a safe place and that they have read and understood it. The wording of leases is usually in 'legal language' and can vary from property to property. If you cannot understand your lease please contact us.
  • The lease sets out the contractual obligations of the two parties: what the leaseholder has contracted to do, and what South Cambridgeshire District Council as landlord is bound to do.
  • The leaseholder's obligations will include payment of the ground rent and contribution to the costs of maintaining and managing the building and the communal areas.
  • The lease will probably also place certain conditions on the use and occupation of the property.
  • South Cambridgeshire District Council will usually be required to manage and maintain the structure, exterior and common area of the property, to collect contributions from all the leaseholders and keep the accounts.
  • Leaseholders are not necessarily entirely free to do whatever they want in or with the property - the lease comes with conditions, to protect the rights of everyone with an interest in the building.
  • When a property changes hands, the seller signs over all the rights and responsibilities of the lease to the purchaser, including any future service charges that have not yet been identified.