You own the freehold together. Now you have to manage it together.
Buying the freehold was the hard part. Now you need to maintain the building, make decisions as a group, and keep it all running smoothly. OpenCourtyard makes collective ownership actually work.
The challenges of shared ownership
Informal Chaos
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. Groundhog Day.
Share of freehold sounds simple: everyone owns a slice, everyone shares responsibility. In practice, it's neighbours trying to run a building together without any structure.
How OpenCourtyard helps
Issue Tracking
Log maintenance needs, assign responsibility, track progress. No more 'I thought you were handling that.' Everyone sees what needs doing.
Document Repository
Insurance certs, service charge accounts, lease variations. Everything findable when lenders, solicitors, or new owners ask.
Communication That Lasts
Discussions stay organised and searchable. Decisions are recorded. New owners can see the history instead of starting from scratch.
Fair Decision Making
Surveys and votes that give everyone a voice. Anonymous when needed. No more 'we never agreed to that' arguments.
Shared Directory
Who owns what, who's responsible for what this year. When flats change hands, the building's records stay current.
Transparent Finances
Everyone sees where the money goes. No suspicion, no accusations. Clear records that build trust between neighbours.
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. OpenCourtyard gives every owner a voice without forcing anyone to host meetings in their flat.
Join the Founding 5
We're working with our first 5 residential communities to build something that truly works. Join now and secure founding member pricing.
Founding Rates
Your baseline rate, even as we add features
Shape the Product
Direct input into what we build next
Priority Support
Direct line to the team building the product
Founding member spots are limited. Once they're gone, they're gone.
Join the Founding 5One avoided argument about who agreed to what. One dispute that doesn't poison your relationship with neighbours you'll live next to for years. Worth more than £2/month.
Founding Member Program
Ready to run your estate in the open?
Join the Founding 5 - the first estates building a new standard for residential transparency.