Roofs and flat roofs
Who repairs a shared roof when a leasehold flat survey rates the covering?
Usually the landlord or the management company repairs a shared roof, and the leaseholders pay through the service charge. The survey of one flat does not make that roof yours to patch, and it does not prove what the lease says. Ask your solicitor to read the demise.
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?
A Level 2 or Level 3 of a flat sees the covering from limited angles and sees the ceiling of the flat. The rating tells you about condition. The lease tells you who pays. Government guidance on leasehold property explains service charges and the right to challenge them. It does not make the surveyor the person who sets the charge.
Ask the managing agent for recent roof invoices, any planned works and the last accounts. A rating 3 on a roof you do not control is a reason to read those papers before you commit, not a reason to hire a roofer for the block. Section 20 consultation can apply to major works. Ask the solicitor whether it has been started. Do not invent the bill.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- How much of the shared roof could you see from this flat?
- Is the damp inside this demise, or only a comment on the block?
- What do you expect me to ask the solicitor, as distinct from a roofer?
What are the typical next steps?
- Read the lease with the solicitor. Confirm who repairs the roof and the gutters.
- Ask for service-charge accounts and any notice of major works.
- Do not deduct a whole reroof from the price in your head. You may be buying a share of a future bill, which is a different sum.
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
Can you force the block to reroof before you buy?
Not as a buyer who does not yet hold the lease. You can ask the seller to obtain information, or you can decide not to proceed. The solicitor explains the leverage. The survey does not.
Does a resident-owned freehold change this?
It changes who instructs the work. It does not make the covering new. Read the accounts either way.