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Leasehold

If the block has a reserve fund, do you still care about a rating 3 on the roof?

Yes. The reserve is an accounting balance under the lease, not a repair that has been done. GOV.UK explains that service charges and consultation sit with the landlord and the lease, including Section 20 consultation for some major works. A home survey that rates the roof is telling you the covering looks serious now. It does not know the fund balance.

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.

What is the fuller explanation?

Ask the solicitor for the accounts, the last demands and any Section 20 notices. A healthy fund might pay for the roof. It might also be committed to a lift. You cannot see that from the parapet. A rating is not a demand for your share.

If you will pay a share, get a roofer’s quote or the landlord’s specification before you treat the fund as enough. There is no RICS formula that splits a roof between leaseholders. The lease does that. A healthy-looking balance is not proof the roof was inspected, and an empty fund is not itself a condition rating.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • What did you see on the roof, and what could you not see?
  • Are you silent on the service charge? You should be.
  • Is the roof over this flat only, or the whole block?

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Read the accounts with the survey, not instead of it.
  2. Ask whether a Section 20 notice has already been served.
  3. Do not assume a reserve fund is your money to take if you sell. GOV.UK says that often depends on the lease.

Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.

Also asked about this

Does a managing agent’s letter outweigh a rating 3?

The letter may say works are planned. The rating says what the surveyor saw. Use both. Neither spends the money.

Is an EWS1 form the roof rating?

No. EWS1 is an external-wall form used by many lenders. It is not a tile-by-tile condition rating.

Sources