Shared ownership repairs allowance
If your shared ownership home was built during or after 2021, it may come with a £500 essential repairs allowance per year, for the first 10 years.
Home > My home > Shared owners > Shared ownership repairs allowance
Shared ownership repairs allowance
If your shared ownership home was built during or after 2021, it may come with a £500 essential repairs allowance per year, for the first 10 years.
If this applies to your home, details will be included in your lease – look for Schedule 6 titled ‘The Initial Repair Period’. This only applies if you own less than 100% of your home. If you’ve checked your lease and you’re still unsure, complete our online form below and we’ll confirm for you.
If the shared ownership repairs allowance applies
Your property comes with a £500 repairs allowance per year, for the first 10 years. During this time, you can claim £500 per year from Cottsway to cover repairing, replacing (if faulty) and maintaining fixtures and fittings that:
- Supply water, gas or electricity - for example sinks, baths or pipes
- Heat your home, for example a boiler or radiator.
It does not include:
- Installing other fixtures (such as kitchen cabinets) and fittings (such as a bed or sofa).
- Installing appliances that use your gas, electricity or water supplies, such as ovens or washing machines.
- Repairs covered by the building warranty, insurance policy or any other guarantee.
- General maintenance or redecorating.
- Standard health and safety requirements – like servicing your boiler or electrical testing.
- Repairs needed because you broke the terms of your lease - like causing damage on purpose.
The allowance cannot be withdrawn as cash, used as account credit, or applied towards staircasing or other non-repair costs.
The first 12 months after your home is built
Separately from this repairs allowance, your housebuilder is responsible for fixing problems caused by materials, construction, or workmanship in the first year after your home is built. This is called the defects period. Please let us know about any defects as soon as you notice them:
- Request a repair
- Call: 01993 890000
If the housebuilder does not accept responsibility for the defect, you may still be able to claim costs under the repairs allowance. You can check this quickly using the online form below.
How to claim your repairs allowance
STEP 1: Before you arrange the repair
- Complete the online form below to tell us what needs repairing.
- We’ll respond within 5 working days to confirm if it’s eligible.
STEP 2: Arrange the repair
- Once approved, you should arrange the work with a TrustMark-certified tradesperson (find one on the TrustMark website).
- Keep all receipts or invoices - you’ll need them for your claim.
If your claim is invalid, you won’t be reimbursed.
STEP 3: Submit your claim
- After the repair is complete, submit your claim using the online form below.
- Upload a paid, itemised receipt or invoice from your TrustMark tradesperson.
- We’ll respond within 5 working days to confirm if your claim has been approved or rejected.
- If rejected, we’ll explain why and if you’re not happy, we’ll inform you how to make a complaint.
- If approved, we’ll pay you within 28 working days via bank transfer.
Frequently asked questions
Yes - you can submit multiple claims up to your annual balance. If your invoice includes both eligible and non-eligible repairs, it must be itemised clearly highlighting the repair you are claiming for and associated cost.
You do not need wait for our approval – arrange for a TrustMark-certified tradesperson to carry out the work immediately. Then submit a claim and we will reimburse you from your remaining repairs allowance if the repair is eligible.
If you don’t use your £500 allowance within the year, the unused amount will carry over to the next year. However, if it’s still not used by the end of that second year, it will expire. This means the maximum amount allowance you could have at any one time is £1,000.
Please complete the form below or contact us
If you move before the property turns 10 years old, any remaining allowance will transfer to the new shared owner - unless they decide to buy the home outright. We’ll let them know the remaining balance and how many years are left to use it.