Service charges
Please note: if you are a home owner, a resident in an almshouse, a care and support customer, or a tenant on a six-month assured shorthold tenancy who has paid a deposit, this section may not apply to you.
In addition to their rent, many tenants also have to pay a service charge. Service charges pay for a range of communal services like grounds maintenance, and lighting in hallways. The service charges for your scheme will only consist of the cost of the services relevant to your scheme. For example, you’ll only be charged for the maintenance of a lift if there is a lift at your scheme. The service provision statement for your area will detail what's included.
We calculate service charges by adding together the costs for the services provided to your scheme. We then add in an amount to cover the replacement of larger items such as lifts, painting of shared hallways, fire alarms and floor coverings.
Sometimes we don’t spend as much as we thought we would. When this happens, we will refund you by reducing your service charge payments proportionately for the following year. Similarly, there are times when we spend more than we planned. In this case, we will recoup the money from you by adding the extra costs to your service charge payments for the following year.
Where your tenancy agreement sets out a fixed service charge, we have calculated the service charge in accordance with the terms of your tenancy agreement.
We work hard to ensure we provide value for money: we constantly review our own services and those that are provided by contractors.
What's included?
Service charges are used to pay for:
- Grounds maintenance of communal gardens and open areas
- Utility costs for communal areas - such as hallway or carpark lighting
- Providing and replacing communal items like floor coverings, fire alarms, ventilation and emergency lighting systems, door entry and security systems, lifts and so on
- Visits from scheme managers - the hourly rate is calculated, and travel time is allowed for
- Carrying out health and safety checks (e.g. testing fire alarms and emergency lighting)
- Cleaning of communal areas
- Servicing of fire alarm and emergency lighting systems to meet fire safety regulations
- Servicing of lifts and electric entry gates to meet health and safety regulations
- Servicing of communal water treatment and drainage systems to meet environmental regulations
- Servicing and repair of CCTV.
Most caretaking services are provided by our scheme managers, and include:
- Window cleaning - for flats
- Removal of litter and dumped rubbish
- Servicing of fire alarm and emergency lighting systems to meet fire safety regulations
- Servicing of lifts and electric entry gates to meet health and safety regulations
- Servicing of communal water treatment and drainage systems to meet environmental regulations
- Monitoring and maintenance of CCTV.
Service frequency
How often are services provided? It depends. For example, we mow grass more frequently during the summer months. Cleaning will depend on the needs of the estate or scheme - some schemes are cleaned every week, while others need cleaning less often.
Check your service charge
The service provision statement for your area will explain what's provided.