When you live in a leasehold property you may be required to pay into a sinking fund through set monthly charges. A sinking fund is a long-term savings account which ensures that there is capital set aside to cover one-off expenses in the future.

Having a sinking fund in place is not only essential to the upkeep of your home, but also maintains the value and saleability of the property.

A sinking fund is put in place to cover the cost of repairs, renewals and replacements, from the upkeep of fencing to the replacement of roofs.

Having a fund in place ensures that the cost of major but infrequent repairs are paid for equally by all generations of residents, rather than leaving large expenses to be footed by future occupants. This means that you will avoid having to pay large bills when work does need to be carried out, as there will already be funds in place.

The fund will also help to maintain the value of your home, as future resident’s solicitors will be sure to check the adequacy of the sinking fund before buying.


A service charge covers the cost of any ongoing general maintenance to the property, whereas the sinking fund is in place to ensure there is capital to cover major planned works down the line.

For example, if a tile were to fall off the roof the service charge would cover the cost of repairing the tile, whereas the sinking fund would cover the cost of replacing the entire roof when the time comes.

When the property is first built your housing provider will receive a list of costings from the builder, with expectancies of when certain areas of the build (i.e. windows, roofs and fire safety systems) will need to be updated.

Your housing provider will then be able to create a schedule for works, complete with estimated costings which will be used to calculate how much you need to pay into the fund each month.

This figure will be stipulated in your lease agreement and your solicitor should advise you on this when you first purchase your home. Your housing provider will be able to assist you with any questions that your solicitor might have about the sinking fund.


If you are unhappy with the level of contribution required you can contact your housing provider. They will then instruct an independent surveyor to reassess the charges, which would be considered alongside supporting evidence from yourself.

If the costs of any intended work are more than £250 per property, with such costs being shared with other co-owners, then you should be consulted by the housing provider before the work is undertaken.

If no amicable agreement can be reached you may be able to apply to the First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), who handle property disputes, to resolve the problem.


Before any major repairs or renewals are undertaken a surveyor will be instructed to assess the property and determine whether any work is needed at that time. In the case that no action is required another survey will be scheduled for the following year.

The capital in the sinking fund will be carried over and used as and when repairs are needed.


If you decide to sell your property the money you paid into the sinking fund will be retained as capital to cover any repairs which have resulted from general wear and tear while you were in residence at the property.

This ensures that future residents will avoid having to foot large bills for works which are required as the result of wear and tear over time.  It should also make your property a more attractive proposition to a potential buyer and help in retaining the value of your home.

Mike Carter | Head of Conveyancing
Paul Crowley & Co, Solicitors