When Joint Freeholders Disagree About the Buildings Insurance
Shared freeholds work well until renewal. Here are the disagreements that come up most often between joint freeholders, and how buildings usually resolve them.
Joint Freeholders · 19 September 2026 · 6 min read
Most share of freehold buildings run perfectly happily for years. The friction, when it comes, tends to arrive with the renewal notice — because that is the moment when everyone has an opinion and a bill.
"Why Has It Gone Up?"
The most common flashpoint. The premium on a building can move for reasons nobody in the building controls: a revised rebuild assessment, a claim two years ago, occupancy changes, fire safety information, or wider conditions in the property owners' market.
What usually helps is transparency rather than argument: circulate the schedule, the sum insured, the claims history and the renewal terms at the same time, so everybody is looking at the same facts.
"Can We Just Insure Our Own Flats?"
Tempting, and usually a poor fit for a shared building. Damage rarely respects flat boundaries — roofs, escape of water between floors, and subsidence all cross them. Separate policies create arguments between insurers at precisely the moment residents need a fast decision.
"Who Decides?"
Where a company holds the freehold, the directors decide within the company's constitution, and the lease determines how the cost is shared. Where individuals hold the freehold on trust, decisions are usually taken collectively by the participants, according to whatever arrangement they set up when they bought it.
Buildings that avoid disputes generally agree in writing, in advance:
- Who handles the renewal each year
- What information is circulated, and when
- How the cost is split
- Who is authorised to report and manage a claim
- When the rebuild assessment is next reviewed
"One Owner Won't Pay Their Share"
Recovery of the premium runs through the service charge mechanism in the leases and the statutory service charge framework. It is a lease matter, not an insurance one — but it is worth resolving before renewal rather than after, because the policy has to be paid for in full regardless.
"Someone Has Changed How They Use Their Flat"
A flat becoming vacant for an extended period, being let short-term, or being used for a business are all things insurers typically want to know about. Agreeing that owners notify the person managing the policy of any change avoids an awkward conversation at claim stage.
"We Want to Move Broker"
A commercial decision for the building. The practical points are to avoid any gap in cover, to make sure the new policy is in the correct name, and to carry the claims history across accurately.
Further Reading
Share of freehold buildings insurance explains the ownership structures, and freeholder vs leaseholder insurance sets out where responsibilities sit on each side.
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Beyond Leads Ltd T/A Landlord Quote is an FCA authorised lead generation business. We do not give advice, arrange cover or quote premiums. If your enquiry is matched, your details are shared with an FCA regulated broker who specialises in this sector.
Beyond Leads Ltd T/A Landlord Quote (FCA FRN 940006) is an FCA authorised lead generation business. We do not provide insurance advice, recommend policies, arrange cover or quote premiums. This page is general information only. If your enquiry is matched, your details are shared with an FCA authorised specialist broker who will discuss cover and pricing with you directly.