When you buy a flat or maisonette from the council you purchase a leasehold interest and the council keeps the freehold interest. The lease is the contract between you and Westminster City Council.
As the freeholder the council owns the land on which the property is built and charges a ground rent.
Your lease will specify which parts of the property have been sold to you and what rights you have acquired over the communal land. This is called the ‘demised premises’ and will be identified by your address and by your plan or plans attached to your lease.
Since 1974, changes have been made to a standard lease due to changes to legislation and council policy. This means that there can be variations to different leases. These variations particularly affect how we charge for major repairs and improvements.
For a guide on what is included in your lease, please refer to your leaseholder handbook.
How can I pay the fee of £10 to receive a copy of my lease?
You can pay your £10 fee using one of the below methods. Please note that it is important to use the relevant reference number to ensure that your payment is allocated to the correct account. The correct reference number to pay this fee will be the 10 digit number for your service charge account that begins with 800, however, the 9th digit of this should be changed from a 0 to a 1.
Pay online
Payments can be made securely online with a payment reference number and bank card. Payments made before 6pm on a working day will normally show on the account the following working day. Please note that the reference number to pay your sublet fee will be the 10 digit 800 number for your property but the 9th digit should be changed to a 1.
Pay over the telephone
Payments can be made at any time by using our automated voice response system on 020 7823 260.
By bank transfer
Account Name: ‘City of Westminster’
Account Number: 00250821
Sort Code: 30-00-00
Reference: Please see above.
