We recently changed our buildings insurance, but we now discover that under the terms of our lease we have to take out the insurance through the owner of the lease. Is this correct? You can’t read every little detail when you buy a house.
The reason most people employ a solicitor to carry out the conveyancing work when they buy a house is to go through the paperwork so there won’t be any nasty surprises at a later date. However, assuming that you live in a house as opposed to a flat, the law now allows leaseholders to take out their own insurance. You must give the freeholder notice of the new policy however (within 14 days, or within 14 days of a demand) in a prescribed form, a solicitor will help you with this if necessary.