Covenants and breaches
When you buy or rent a home in Lawley, you sign a document called a TP1 or tenancy agreement. This details what you can and can’t do to the outside of your home and within its boundaries. These rules are called covenants and they are legally binding and enforceable.
Covenants only apply to the outside of your home and land within your boundary lines. As the long-term stewards of Lawley, it’s our responsibility to make sure covenants are not broken.
More details of Lawley’s covenants can be found in the Lawley Village Design Guide, which is a document that lays out what can and can’t be done to your home/land.
As the long-term stewards of Lawley, we are required to make sure covenants are not broken. If covenants are breached, it can lead to legal action. This may mean any work that has been done externally to your home or land within your boundary has to be undone and you may be faced with a fine, damages and legal fees. Legal action is always a last resort, and we want to work with residents to avoid this. If you need advice on making a change to your home, please get in touch before you start any alteration work. You can do this by visiting us in the Lawley Community Hub, calling 0300 333 6540 or emailing [email protected].
Breaches happen if a covenant isn’t followed, for example when an unauthorised alteration to your home or land has been made.
Full details about Lawley’s covenants can be found in the Lawley Village Design Guide.
Examples of breaches are:
- Alterations made without following the alteration process
- Not keeping gardens up to the required standard
- Displaying unauthorised signage
- Bins being visible from the road
- Anti-social behaviour
- Running a business from your home
- Satellite dish visible from the road
- Caravan/boat or trailer on driveway.
As well as the legal action mentioned above, any unresolved breaches can cause delays in selling your home.
Our estate officers regularly walk around the Village noting issues relating to open spaces, courtyards and speaking to residents about concerns they have about breaches. They also note any breaches they see and contact residents to raise these. Our estate officers complete an inspection log during each visit, which includes issues they’ve spotted relating to landscaping, courtyards, and fly tipping, as well as any breaches relating to unauthorised alterations, satellite dishes and bins.
