Complexities of owning a home: Owning vs Renting –  Who Fixes What in a Shared Ownership Home?

One of the biggest surprises for new shared owners is discovering that paying rent doesn’t make your housing association your landlord in the traditional sense. While part of your monthly payments may be labelled as rent, shared ownership is still legally classed as homeownership — and that means you take on full responsibility for most repairs and maintenance inside your property. Understanding where those responsibilities lie early on can prevent confusion, reduce stress and help you plan for long-term home care.

How repair responsibilities change when you move from renting to owning

In a rented home, most people are used to calling the landlord whenever something goes wrong. If the boiler stops working, a tap is leaking or tiles start to lift, tenants rightfully expect their landlord to send someone out.

However, shared ownership works differently. Even though you may still be paying a rent element, you are not treated as a tenant — you are treated as a homeowner. That means the internal condition of your property becomes your responsibility. If a tap starts to drip or a toilet blocks, you are expected to arrange and fund the repair yourself. The only exceptions are defects covered under your new build warranty, which typically lasts for the first 12 to 24 months depending on your developer. Once that period ends, all repairs — from minor fixes to major replacements — become yours to manage.

What am I actually responsible for?

If the issue is inside your home and could reasonably happen to any property over time, it is almost always your responsibility. Things like leaking taps, blocked drains, loose fittings or low boiler pressure are considered everyday homeowner maintenance. Even appliances that stop working — such as an oven or dishwasher — fall to you unless they were originally supplied by the developer and are still under manufacturer warranty. Decorative issues such as cracked caulking, scuffed walls, lifted flooring or settlement cracks in plaster are also classed as homeowner upkeep.

When it comes to larger jobs, such as a boiler replacement or major plumbing work, many shared owners assume that because they still “pay rent”, their housing association will step in. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. After the initial guarantee expires, the boiler is treated as your own asset. According to the Energy Saving Trust, replacing a boiler in the UK can cost anywhere between £1,500 and £4,000, which is why many experienced homeowners choose to put aside a small monthly amount into a home repair fund.

The Role of Defect Periods and Warranties

Most new build shared ownership homes come with a defect period, usually lasting 12 to 24 months depending on the developer. During this time, any issues caused by poor installation or faulty materials — such as misaligned doors, loose tiles or leaking pipes fitted incorrectly — should be reported to the New Build Defects team (NBDT) so they can be passed to the original contractor. Any outstanding defects agreed during the defects period are still valid until completion, even if time to complete falls outside of the 12-24 months defects period.

Beyond the defect period, structural and major construction issues may still be covered by your 10-year new build warranty through providers like NHBC, LABC or Premier Guarantee. According to NHBC, over 1.7 million homes in the UK are currently protected under their Buildmark scheme — but this warranty mainly covers serious structural faults, not everyday wear and tear.

In short: defects are temporary — responsibilities are permanent.

Renting vs Shared Ownership: What Happens When Something Goes Wrong?

Let’s look at some common scenarios to make things clearer.

Scenario 1: The boiler stops working.
If you were renting, you would call your landlord and expect an engineer to be sent out. Under shared ownership, you must arrange and pay for the repair yourself — unless it fails within your defect period or is still covered under the manufacturer warranty. Most new boilers come with a standard 2-5 year warranty, but once that expires, replacement costs can range between £1,500 and £4,000 according to the Energy Saving Trust.

Scenario 2: A tap starts leaking.
A renter would log it with their letting agent. A shared owner is expected to tighten or replace the fitting themselves, or hire a plumber. This type of issue is considered general maintenance, not a housing association responsibility.

Scenario 3: The paint cracks slightly around a doorway.
This is known as settlement cracking, which happens as a new home dries out. In renting, you might report it as damage. In shared ownership, it’s considered entirely normal and classed as homeowner upkeep.

So what does the housing association look after?

Your housing association remains responsible for shared and external areas such as roofs in apartment blocks, communal lighting and drainage systems outside your home’s boundary. Everything inside your front door — fixtures, fittings, plumbing and electrics — is generally your responsibility unless it falls under an active warranty. A helpful way to think about it is this: if it is beyond your own front door and used by more than one household, the housing association is likely responsible. If it is inside your home and only affects you, it is probably yours to manage.

Planning ahead like a homeowner

Nationwide’s 2025 Housing Study found that two-thirds of first-time buyers quickly understood the reality of “unexpected repairs”. Shared ownership makes getting onto the property ladder more affordable, but it still requires the mindset of a homeowner. A useful budgeting rule is to set aside around 1% of your home’s value each year for expected maintenance. You may not use it immediately, but when something eventually needs repairing, you’ll be glad you planned ahead.

Shared ownership gives you a stepping stone onto the ladder, but with that opportunity comes responsibility. You no longer just live in your home — you care for it. If you are ever unsure whether a repair is yours or the housing association’s, the NBDT is always happy to advise. It is far better to ask and be confident than to delay and risk a small issue becoming a bigger one. After all, we’re here to help you succeed as a homeowner — one repair at a time. You can report defects and communal repairs directly to the team using the online Love Living Homes form.