For share of freehold owners
You own the freehold together. Decide together too.
One answer per home on every big decision, documents ready when a lender or buyer asks, and each result kept on record.
The reality
The challenges of shared ownership
-
No record of who agreed
Started with a WhatsApp group. Now there's no record of who agreed to what, or whose turn it is to sort the insurance.
-
Someone else will do it
Everyone thought someone else was handling the roof quote. Nobody was. Now it's an emergency.
-
Relationships at stake
Disagreements about building decisions poison relationships for years. You still have to live next to each other.
-
No paper trail
Lender asks for service charge accounts or insurance certificates. They're in someone's email. Probably.
-
Unequal effort
One person does all the work. Others enjoy the benefits. Resentment builds quietly until it explodes.
-
New owners, lost context
When a flat sells, the new owner knows nothing. Same questions. Same mistakes.
Share of freehold sounds easy: everyone owns a slice, everyone shares responsibility. In practice, it's neighbours trying to run a building together without any structure.
Decide
One answer per home, and a result in writing
Surveys and votes give each home one say, anonymous when needed. Results show once a survey closes and five homes have answered, to everyone it was sent to.
- Open now: one list of open surveys, elections and nominations
- Seven question types, from single choice to a 1–5 rating
- Results once a survey closes and five homes have answered
- Meetings with papers, and minutes (part of Open Books)
The solution
How Residents Circle helps
- Our place
Document repository
Insurance certs, service charge accounts, lease variations. Everything findable when lenders, solicitors, or new owners ask.
- Our place
Shared directory
Who owns what, who's responsible for what this year. When flats change hands, the building's records stay current.
- Talk
Communication that lasts
Discussions stay organised and searchable. Decisions are recorded. New owners can see the history instead of starting from scratch.
- Report
Issue tracking
Log maintenance needs, assign responsibility, track progress. No more 'I thought you were handling that.' Everyone sees what needs doing.
- Manage · alpha
Clearer finances
Whoever manages the building can publish service charge statements. Money is in alpha and set up by managers only. Clear records build trust between neighbours.
Making decisions together
Structure that preserves relationships
-
Democratic decisions
Big decisions deserve proper votes. Roof repairs, contractor selection, rule changes - get a clear mandate from the group.
-
Clear records
When someone says 'we never agreed to that', show exactly when, how, and what was decided. Facts end disputes.
-
Preserved relationships
When processes are fair and transparent, disagreements stay professional. Disagree without it becoming personal.
-
Good neighbours need good systems
Share of freehold works when everyone has clarity. Without that structure, even good relationships get strained.
Share of freehold works best when everyone feels heard. Residents Circle gives every owner a voice without forcing anyone to host meetings in their flat.
Our first estates
Build it with us
We’re building this with our first estates. What they ask for shapes what we build next.
-
Free for residents
Every resident uses it free, today
-
Shape the product
Direct input into what we build next
-
A direct line
Talk to the people building the product
Residents and residents’ associations can use Community without paying. Choose Open Books when your committee needs shared records and accounts.
Talk to usOne avoided argument about who agreed to what. One dispute that doesn't poison your relationship with neighbours you'll live next to for years.
Our first estates
Run your estate in the open
Tell us what your estate needs. We’ll help you choose between Community and Open Books.
For residents
£0 free, for every resident