Service charges

Leaseholders pay an annual service charge which must be paid in full each April. There are a choice of ways to make a payment.

Shared owners pay a monthly fee which includes service charges for the year.

It’s essential that your pay all of your charges when they are due.

You could lose your home if you miss your payments and do not talk to us about how you plan to pay your rent or service charges.

Missed payments will be chased by our Income Management team, they may even visit your home. If we can’t get hold of you, we will pursue your debt in line with your lease (which may lead to added interest). If necessary we will get solicitors involved and contact your mortgage lender.

Don’t risk losing your home, talk to us if you’re worried about your payments. The key is to communicate with us as early as possible. Speak to us on Live Chat or call: 01733 385000 (option 3).

Budgeting for your service charge will help you manage your payments. 

The service charge process

We write to our leaseholders each spring with details of your invoice for the year - this is when we expect your payment. This invoice is an estimated cost for works completed during the year but is a good forecast of what your final cost for the year will be. In September, we’ll send you a final reconciled account balance listing any outstanding charges or balances for the period covered in your spring invoice. If you are in credit at that point, you can either request a refund or carry the credit over towards your service charges for the following year.

We write to our shared owners every spring with details of your monthly rent and service charges. If you pay by monthly Direct Debit, your payments will be adjusted automatically to cover your new monthly total. 

What's included in my service charge?

Details of your service charges are included in your lease. Homeowner’s service charges are used to keep your surroundings in good condition. The services you pay for depends on where you live, but they may include:

• Cleaning, maintenance and general up keep of communal areas i.e. lifts, lights and heating

• Caretaking and security

• Grounds maintenance

• Audit fees

• Bin hires

• Communal building insurance

• A reserve fund towards the cost of cyclical repairs or major works.

We do our very best to make sure these charges are reasonable and offer you good value for money. 

The leasehold advisory service also offers free, independent assistance.

Planned works and reserve funds

If you live in an apartment, you will pay service charges for maintaining or cleaning communal areas. Sometimes we need to invest more significantly in communal assets, for example the roof of the building.  Our planned maintenance programme sets out the plan for replacing items we’re responsible for. We will contact you when planned works are due to take place.

Planned maintenance is based on the age, type and condition of each item. These works ensure the building doesn’t fall into disrepair (and help protect your asset). We understand it’s important to consider the financial implications.

Reserve funds help you prepare for major works or emergencies. Paying in to a reserve fund helps spread the cost of major works, so you are less likely to have to pay extra when they happen. Your lease will tell you if you have a reserve fund.

If you don’t have a reserve fund, we recommend you plan to put money aside to cover future works. We don’t offer payment plans, so you will be asked to pay for any works in full when they occur.