Everything you need to know about service charges
The exact services you pay for will be set out in your lease agreement, but might include:
| Charge type | Description |
|---|---|
| Admin charges | These are to pay for the administration and management of our service contracts, paying contractors and other bills, and calculating and administering the charges. |
| Cleaning – shared areas | This covers contractor cleaning fees for internal and external communal areas, including window cleaning. |
| Communal electricity and communal lighting | This covers the cost of providing electricity in communal areas. This may include external lighting in car parks, street lighting (that is not maintained by the local authority) and electricity for sewage pumps. This also includes the costs of maintaining the internal and external lighting of communal areas. |
| Gardening and grounds maintenance | This is for gardening and maintenance of communal outside spaces within your scheme. This includes grass cutting, flower bed maintenance, maintaining any green spaces (which are not maintained by the local authority), hedge maintenance and weeding. |
| Management company charges | This is to cover costs where the maintenance and upkeep of the communal areas are managed and administered by a private company on behalf of the landlord. |
| Provision charges | These charges are to pay for major repairs to communal car parking areas, private roads and pathways. This fund also covers items outside of an annual gardening contract, such as major tree work. |
| Sewage pump and tank maintenance (or Water treatment and cleaning) | This covers servicing and maintenance of sewage pump stations for waste water if a property isn’t linked to the public sewer system. |
| Servicing and repairing door-entry systems | The cost of servicing, repairing and replacing door entry systems including keys, entry phones, key cards and automatic doors. |
| Servicing and repairing communal TV aerials | This covers the cost of servicing and repairing communal aerial systems. |
Your service charge is based on:
- actual costs from the previous year
- any known or estimated changes for the current year
- inflation adjustments from the previous year.
This gives an overall cost for the scheme, which is divided between the customers who receive the services. You will only pay for your share of the services you receive.
You’ll receive details of your service charge breakdown with your rent notification letter.
If you feel your service charge is incorrect, please get in touch.
We’re here to help and will work with you to resolve any concerns. We’re happy to assist and ensure everything is clear.
When we send you a request for service charge payment or your charge has been varied, we have to enclose a summary that sets out your rights and obligations.
Service charges – summary of rights and obligations document
Administration charges - summary of rights and obligations document
If you're finding it difficult to manage your service charge payments, please get in touch. We're here to help.
There are also lots of free services available online and in your community.
You’ll find lots of links on our support pages to a range of support agencies, tools and information to help you manage your money and make sure you’re receiving all the benefits you’re entitled to.
If you can’t find the information you’re looking for or need further assistance, please talk to your Housing Officer.
There may be occasions when we need to carry out major works on apartment blocks or on communal areas, which leaseholders may be required to pay towards.
Section 20 consultation
Under Section 20 of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985, we're required to consult with leaseholders if the work will cost any one leaseholder more than £250, or for any new service (for example, grounds maintenance) that lasts longer than 12 months and will cost any one leaseholder over £100.