Repairs for those with a new model lease

If you are a shared owner with a new model lease, you have an annual allowance of £500 to carry out essential repairs to your home.

You can claim up to £500 per year for 10 years. Allowances will be rolled over for one year and the period ends 10 years from the start of your lease.

You can’t claim for all repairs, just some,  and you will need to seek Paradigm’s permission before arranging the repair.

One more thing to note – you must use a TrustMark-approved contractor to do the essential repairs.

How do I know if I can make a claim?

If you are a shared owner with a new type of lease you will have the allowance and may be able to make a claim, if your repair is eligible.  Check your lease to find out (you should look for “Initial Repairs Period”) or ask a member of the Homeownership team by emailing Homeownershipteam@ParadigmHousing.co.uk.

You will not have this allowance if you are a Paradigm customer and your lease started before January 2024.

What repairs can I claim for?

You can claim up to £500 a year to cover repairing, replacing (if faulty) and maintaining fixtures and fittings including sinks, baths, pipes, boilers and radiators.

It does not include:

• installing other fixtures such as kitchen cabinets
• furnishings like beds or sofas
• installing appliances such as ovens or washing machines
• repairs covered by the building warranty or any other guarantee (including defects liability and insurance)
• repairs where damage was caused on purpose or there is a breach of your lease
• routine safety checks such as boiler servicing
• repairs where you have not arranged routine servicing or maintenance, such as boiler servicing
• DIY or decorating
• making improvements or refurbishments
• works carried out by a non-Trustmark approved tradesperson

How much can I claim?

You can claim up to £500 per year for 10 years from the start date of your lease.

If you don’t use your allowance, Paradigm will roll it over for 12 months. After 12 months, it will expire. The Initial Repairs Period ends 10 years from the lease date so the final year’s allowance will not roll over.

Here is an example of how the allowance rolls over:

How can I make a claim?

1. Make an application to carry out an essential repair (this must be made before the repair is carried out). You’ll need to include details of the tradesperson and photographs of the damage or issue. You can start this process by emailing the HomeownershipTeam@ParadigmHousing.co.uk or calling us on 0300 303 1010 – and a member of our team will send you a form
2. Once we have received your form, we will respond within 7 days to approve or reject your application
3. Arrange and pay for the repair – you must use a TrustMark-approved tradesperson. Make sure you keep the invoice/receipt and take photos of the completed repair as you’ll need those when claiming a refund. Here is a link to the TrustMark website to check: https://www.trustmark.org.uk/homeowner

Who can I contact at Paradigm about essential repairs claims?

Please contact a member of the Homeownership Team who will be able to help you via HomeownershipTeam@ParadigmHousing.co.uk

What if you aren’t happy with our response?

If we reject a claim or you are unhappy with our response you can use our complaints process to make a complaint.