If you live in a house or flat with the use of a communal area or where there are annual servicing contracts in place, you'll need to pay a service charge.
You can view the service charges costs on your account and make payments by logging in to myAccount.
Your service charge covers the cost of maintaining and managing any shared facilities, which will differ depending on whether you live in a house or flat. Examples include, but aren't limited to:
We will send you a budget statement prior to the start of the financial year which you will receive in February, this provides a breakdown of the estimated costs for the year. At the end of each year, when we know how much has been spent, we will send you a year end statement to show the actual costs compared to the budget. For clarity, we will also send you an 'Actual vs. Budget' page, which provides a clear comparison of our set budget for each cost that year, and the actual costs. This will clearly show you the variance under each cost heading and allow you to see exactly how we calculate any surplus or deficit. You will normally receive this between June and September. The statement will show any underspend (surplus) or overspend (deficit), any surplus or deficit will be included within the next service charge budget. When you sign your tenancy agreement, your service charge may include a surplus or deficit brought forward from a period before you moved in.
If you need a copy of your statements at any other time, please don't hesitate to contact us and we will send one out - please note, there may be an administration charge if statements have previously been provided
We will send you a budget statement prior to the start of the financial year which you will receive in February, this provides a breakdown of the estimated costs for the year. At the end of each year, when we know how much has been spent, we will send you a year end statement to show the actual costs compared to the budget. For clarity, we will also send you an 'Actual vs. Budget' page, which provides a clear comparison of our set budget for each cost that year, and the actual costs. This will clearly show you the variance under each cost heading and allow you to see exactly how we calculate any surplus or deficit. You will normally receive this between June and September.
If you need a copy of your statement at any other time, please don't hesitate to contact us and we will send one out - please note, there may be an administration charge if statements have previously been provided
If we have spent less than expected on services and you have a surplus showing on your annual service charge statement, you will receive the surplus credit back from us and this will be credited to your service charge account. If you pay by Direct Debit, we will automatically adjust your future payments accordingly to reflect the credit, you will receive a separate notice from us to advise of any changes to your direct debit. Alternatively, you can apply for a lump sum refund.
Sometimes we may need to spend more on relevant services during the financial year and will need to recover the cost of the deficit/shortfall from you. We will debit your service charge account with the shortfall and you will need to arrange payment to cover it.
We understand that a deficit can cause difficulties for homeowners and shared owners, and we will consider payment plans on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you are facing difficulties making these additional costs.
Sinking funds are used for works that don't happen every year, major structural work and decoration of communal areas. We will assess the work required and then charge this over a period of years which equals the time we think the work will last. The cost is collected each year through your service charge.
Where your lease, tenancy or transfer allows, a sinking fund is set up to help cover costs for these major works as and when they come about. You will contribute to the fund as part of your overall service charge contributions, and we set the money aside in an interest-bearing account until the funds are needed. If you choose to sell your home, your contributions to the fund remain in place and are passed onto the new owner.
Renewals funds are used for major repairs or the replacement of communal equipment such as your lift, fire system, emergency lighting or door entry systems, play areas or future communal tree pruning.
The money you pay into each fund is used towards the cost of these items as and when they are required. If the works cost more during the year, it will form part of your service charge and this will be included as part of your 'end of year deficit' on your statement
Major repairs include any work we need to carry out to the building or estate in which you live that involves extensive or complex works - such as re-roofing, window replacement, structural repairs, lift replacement or the resurfacing of roads, car parks and paths unadopted by the local authority.
If you live in a flat or maisonette, we are responsible for the upkeep, maintenance, repair and improvement of your building as well as maintaining the wider estate that your home is part of. You are responsible for paying your share of these costs through your service charges.
As well as carrying out regular maintenance to all our estates, we also complete major replacement or refurbishment works when needed to keep quality standards. This may include replacing roofs, updating windows or installing new facilities like entry phones or fire equipment. We also perform more regular work to keep your block looking great, like internal and external painting of communal areas.
Where your lease or transfer allows, a sinking or renewals fund is set up to help cover costs for these major works as and when they come about. You will contribute to the fund as part of your overall service charge contributions, and we set the money aside in an interest-bearing account until the funds are needed. If you choose to sell your home, your contributions to the fund remain in place and are passed onto the new owner.
We have a long term plan of major works and decorations in place which happen on a rotation basis to provide information to buyers about work planned for the future
This means that with the exception of any major emergency repairs, we know about these larger and more complex works in advance.
This information is also passed onto you as and when we review sinking fund contributions. In the meantime, if you would like to know what planned works are likely to take place in the future, simply contact us - There may be an additional charge for this service, and you can find out more about this via our Administration Charges leaflet.
Once the year end service charge accounts are calculated, all major repairs and planned maintenance costs are charged. If there is no sinking fund set up for your home, or if it contains insufficient funds, your account will be in deficit and we will ask that you pay your share of the cost of the works.
We completely understand that the charges for major repairs can be high, and can cause difficulties, but we will consider payment plans on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you are facing difficulties making these additional costs. You can also apply to add the costs of any major repairs to your mortgage, but you would need to contact your mortgage lender directly to discuss this.
If you have any questions or require more information about your service charge you can contact us.
We’re here to help if increases in the cost of living are putting pressure on your household finances.
If in increases in the cost of living are putting pressure on your household finances, you can:
You can also visit our energy page to find information on how to reduce your energy usage and an overview of government support packages, with details of who is eligible for these and how to access them.