After decades of underinvestment, many local authorities are having to find huge amounts of money to fund major works, and purchasers have found themselves presented with huge contribution bills.

The Guardian reports that in Oxford, 50 local authority property purchasers have been presented with bills of £50,000 each) towards these major works – there are no ‘right to manage ‘ provisions which are available to leaseholders in the open property market, and those who cannot afford to pay are finding themselves having to surrender amounts of their equity to the local authority in lieu of payment.

It’s an expensive lesson, but before buying such a property, do your research and make sure that your solicitor asks the right searching questions of the local authority and their plans for the future.