Responsibilities

Owning part of your home is a big step forward, and we’re here to walk it with you. We’ll always be clear about what’s yours, what’s ours, and how we work together to keep your home safe, supported, and truly yours.

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SO, who does what?

Shared ownership means shared responsibility, but it also means shared support, shared progress, and shared pride. Every home is unique - if you're not sure where a responsibility falls, just get in touch.

Talk to us

Our part

Whether you live in a flat or a house, Sparrow plays an active role in keeping your home safe and supported. We look after shared spaces, carry out safety checks, and provide building insurance where it applies. If you’re in a house and pay rent, we’re still here behind the scenes – managing your account and helping you understand your lease and next steps.

It’s all about clear responsibilities, fair charges, and making sure you feel confident in your home.

Read our repairs policy

If you’re a shared owner of a house or live in a flat – even if you own it outright – Sparrow provides building insurance and includes the cost in your service charge.

If you buy 100% of a house, you’ll need to arrange your own building insurance. It’s a legal requirement if you have a mortgage.

In all cases, you’ll need to sort your own contents insurance to cover your personal belongings.

If someone else provides services to your building or estate, we stay closely involved to make sure everything meets Sparrow’s standards.

We’ll take care of repairs in shared spaces – like hallways, stairwells, and communal gardens – so your block stays safe, tidy, and welcoming.

If there’s flooding, an electrical fault, or a lift breakdown in shared spaces, we’ll act fast to get it sorted.

We look after shared services like water, gas, electricity, heating, hot water and sanitation – where they’re part of your building setup. What’s included depends on your block.

We’re usually responsible for things like roofs and walls – and sometimes windows, doors or balconies too. It depends on your building and lease, so check the details to see what’s covered.

We carry out regular checks in shared areas – like making sure emergency lighting and smoke detectors are working, and that hallways and stairwells are clear and safe.

With you all the way

We’re here to help with the bigger picture:

Buying more shares in your home (called staircasing) — we’ll guide you through it
Selling your home — we’ll support you with resales and make the process smoother
Fair charges — we make sure your rent and service charges are clearly explained, reflect the services you receive, and stay in line with your lease.

Your part

Whether you live in a flat or a house, here’s what’s on your side of the fence:

Anything that’s not communal.

Keeping your home looking and feeling like yours.

and letting us know if anything changes.

To protect your own belongings (not covered through building insurance).

If you want to make changes to your home.

Working together

We’re committed to:

Delivering a reliable, customer-focused repairs service
Listening to your feedback and acting on it
Partnering with managing agents when needed
Treating everyone fairly and respectfully, with access to translation and accessibility tools