People purchasing council flats need to ensure they read through their contract thoroughly to check they understand any service charges they may be liable for, it has been warned.

Local authorities sometimes charge private buyers for services such as general maintenance, building insurance and lifts, with those who own their flat are often responsible for paying for more extensive work, such as replacing windows.

A spokesman for the Chartered Institute of Housing, a professional body for people who work in housing, said that while the council will instigate work "the person who owned the property would probably have to fund the process for that particular part of the building".

However, he added: "Any owner of any property can sometimes have costs which they don''t expect… If you own the property you''ve got to respond and pay the costs."

"If people properly follow the contractual process and understand what they''re doing, I don''t think there''s an issue… It''s important that the contract is properly looked at and investigated, and all [the] implications are considered before the property is bought."