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Information for homeowners considering remortgaging, selling or staircasing – April 2020
In recent months, mortgage lenders and valuers have asked people who apply for mortgages in certain properties to provide independent certification that the property meets the requirements of the government’s building safety guidance. Until this certification can be provided, some lenders have decided not to provide mortgages, which is therefore impacting some residents’ ability to remortgage, sell or staircase.
Unfortunately, building owners across the country, including MTVH, are experiencing delays in conducting the inspections that are required in order to produce the certification due to the number of buildings that require inspections and the availability of suitably qualified independent assessors. The current situation concerning Covid-19 is exacerbating these delays.
Where MTVH is the freeholder of a building, we are working hard to ensure that the necessary inspections are conducted in order to produce the certification that has been requested. Where MTVH is not the freeholder of a building, we are contacting the freeholder or their agent to request they provide the certification being requested.
This is a nationwide issue affecting leaseholders. However, we know some MTVH leaseholders are affected and we are sorry for the frustration that this will be causing you. We have been working alongside other housing associations to call for government action to resolve this issue as soon as possible and we are committed to supporting residents who are affected. The government has recognised that it has become more challenging for some people to obtain mortgages for high-rise residential properties and is supportive of industry efforts to apply consistency in how such properties are valued.
It is important to note that if there are delays or issues with providing the certification requested, this does not automatically mean that a building is unsafe. It is not yet a legal requirement for a building to meet the conditions of the new building safety guidance. However, lenders may still take the view that if independent certification cannot be provided to demonstrate compliance, they won’t offer a mortgage.
Due to the delays some residents have been experiencing, you may wish to consider whether to proceed with the sale, remortgage or staircasing process at this time.
Any costs you incur in relation to the sale cannot be reimbursed by MTVH should the transaction be delayed or not proceed in the future. However, any administration charges issued by MTVH, will be refunded if transactions cannot proceed due to this issue.
If you have any questions about this and how it may affect you, please contact us via the relevant email address listed below:
For remortgaging enquiries, please email: homeownership@metropolitan.org.uk
For selling enquiries, please email: resales@soresi.co.uk
For staircasing enquiries, please email: aftersales@soresi.co.uk
We understand that this information and the possible delay to your transaction will be disappointing. MTVH is committed doing all we can to support residents experiencing difficulties.