Who pays to replace a flat front door?
Get a priceIt depends on your lease. There is no single rule.
Open it and look for the part that describes what was let to you, sometimes called the demise. If it includes the front door, the door may well be yours to maintain. If the door is excluded, it is likely to be the freeholder's job, with the cost coming back through the service charge.
Some leases say nothing clear at all. Those are the ones that end in an argument.
The landlord can still act
Even where a door belongs to the leaseholder, the responsible person still has fire safety duties for the building. A flat entrance door opens onto the escape route and the Fire Safety Act 2021 made it clear those doors are included.
Most leases also give the freeholder a route to get repairs carried out. How that works differs from one lease to the next.
If your front door fails an inspection
Get a copy of the report, so you know exactly what is wrong. A failed closer is a very small bill compared with a new doorset.
Do not rush out and buy a new door online. A nice looking door from a catalogue, without the right frame, seals and fitting, gets you nowhere.
Ask the managing agent in writing whose responsibility they think it is, and ask them to point to the clause.
If you are not sure
A solicitor can read the lease for you. The Leasehold Advisory Service has free guidance for leaseholders in England.
We are door people, so we cannot tell you what your lease means. We can tell you what is wrong with the door.
Send us the postcode and a rough door count. You will have a price the same day.
Get a price