Day-to-day service charges
As a leaseholder, you will be charged for services that we provide to your block or estate.
How much you pay depends on the services you receive. For example , where we provide a caretaking service, the charge to you is based on the amount of time the caretakers spend cleaning your block or estate. The more time allocated for cleaning, the more you will pay for the service.
Service charges include things like:
- buildings insurance
- communal heating and hot water
- electricity for communal areas
- repairs and maintenance of communal areas
- lift servicing and maintenance
- caretaking
- CCTV
- grounds maintenance
- management charges
View our service charge guide (PDF) for a complete list of services and how charges are calculated.
Services charges do not include:
- Council Tax
- water rates
Service charges for freeholders and tenants
You may live alongside tenants or freeholders that are paying different day-to-day service charges to you. This is because:
- freeholders pay a variable service charge. As an example, the estate cleaning charge is based on the number of hours the caretaker spends cleaning. The more hours, the higher the charge.
- tenants usually pay a fixed charge for services. This means that all tenants pay the same charge regardless of the level of service they receive. In some cases, this may mean tenants pay more or less than leaseholders in the same building
Major works service charges
Major works are major repairs, replacement, or improvement projects that we carry out on our housing estates.
This can include:
- replacing a roof, lift, or communal heating system
- brick or concrete repairs
- redecoration
If major works are planned for your building or estate and will cost you more than £250 we must consult you. View our leaseholder guide to major works or find out more about consulting on major works.
Ground rent
Your lease says you must pay ground rent. This is a payment made by a leaseholder to the owner of the land on which a property is built. Your notice of ground rent is included in your estimated service charge pack which is sent in March.
Invoicing
You will be sent an invoice in March which details the estimated service charges for your property. This includes estimates for day-to-day service charges and major works if relevant. Find out more about estimated service charges and how to pay.
You will be sent an adjustment invoice in September which details the actual cost of day-to-day service charges and major works for your property. Find out more about actual service charges.