If you’re a shared owner with a ‘2021-2026 lease’, you can get an annual £500 allowance to cover the cost of essential repairs to your home.
You can claim £500 every year for 10 years.
Not all repairs are eligible and you must get our permission before you arrange the repair.
Who can claim the allowance
You can claim if both of the following apply:
- You’re a shared owner.
- You have a ’2021-2026′ lease (check your lease to find out).
You won’t be eligible if your home was built before 2021.
Repairs you can claim for
You can claim for:
- Essential repairs to the outside of the building.
- Essential structural repairs to walls, floors, ceiling and stairs inside your home.
You can also claim for repairing and maintaining fixtures and fittings that:
- Supply water, gas or electricity – like sinks or baths.
- Heat your home like a boiler or radiator.
Some repairs may already be covered by your building warranty – you should check it before making a claim. We can cover the excess as part of your £500 repairs allowance
Repairs you can’t claim for
You can’t claim for:
- General maintenance or redecorating.
- Standard health and safety requirements – like servicing your boiler or electrical testing.
- Repairs covered by your warranty, insurance policy or any other guarantee.
- Repairs needed because you broke the terms of your lease – like causing damage on purpose.
How much you can claim
You can claim up to £500 a year for 10 years to cover the costs of essential repairs to your home. The 10 year period begins from the start date of your lease.
If you don’t claim the £500 allowance in one year, the amount will roll over to the following year. The maximum you can claim in one year is £1,000.
Use our online form to check the balance of your allowance – we’ll respond within 5 working days confirming your allowance for the year.
Example of how the allowance works if you claim in years 2 and 3
| Year | Repairs allowance | Allowance claimed for repairs | Amount rolled over to next year |
| Year 1 | £500 | £0 | £500 |
| Year 2 | £1,000 (£500 + £500) | £750 | £250 |
| Year 3 | £750 (£500 + £250) | £0 | £500 |
How to claim the allowance
Step 1: tell us what needs repairing
You need to tell us about the repair before you arrange it. We’ll then tell you if the repair is eligible for the allowance or not.
You can do this online – we’ll ask you a few questions about the repair and you’ll need to upload a photo of the damageissue.
We’ll respond within 5 working days and tell you if your repair is eligible.
Step 2: arrange the repair
You must get the work done by a TrustMark-certified tradesperson. Keep any receipts or invoices because you’ll need them to make a claim.
Step 3: claim your allowance
Claim your allowance using our online form.
Before you start, you’ll need:
- The reference number you were given when you told us about the repair.
- A copy of an invoice or receipt that shows how much the repair cost.
You also need an MTVH Online account to make a claim.
We’ll respond within 5 working days to let you know if your claim has been approved or rejected.
If it’s approved, we’ll pay you within 21 working days via bank transfer.
If it’s rejected, we’ll contact you to explain why. If you’re not happy with our response, you can make a complaint.