How your service charges are made up

Your service charges mainly cover the following costs:

Repairs, maintenance and improvements

• repairs and maintenance to your block (for example, painting, repairs to the roof, stairway lighting, lifts, fire alarms, door-entry systems, window replacements)
• improvement work on the block or on your flat (for example, new controlled door-entry system, lifts).

 

Day-to-day estate services

• communal cleaning
• television aerial rental / repairs.
• grounds maintenance for shared garden areas in your block
• insuring the building
• communal lighting and electricity
• district heating
• management fee.

 

These costs will be listed on your service charges invoice.  Normally you will get 1 invoice for service charges and 1 for insurance every year, but sometimes (such as where repair or improvement work has been carried out only on your flat, or you are being charged for damage you have done) you may get a special invoice.

Costs are shared as follows:

• costs that apply to the whole block (such as repairs, improvement and grounds maintenance) are shared between all council and leasehold flats in the block
• costs that apply only to 1 flat (such as a special improvement or a charge for damage) are charged just to that flat
• management costs are shared between all the council's leasehold flats (around 245 of them) according to a formula that takes account of the amount of work we have to put into managing each type of block
• insurance costs are shared between all council and leasehold flats, based on the amounts insured.  We go to a lot of trouble to make sure you are only charged for costs that belong to the block you live in.  You do not have to pay for insuring someone else's home.

 

Estate services explained in detail

Your lease agreement will explain what services we can provide and charge for.  These services are summarised below.  Some, such as insurance| and maintenance|, are explained elsewhere in this website.

Communal cleaning

We provide a cleaning service to most blocks of flats.  We clean the communal areas once a week and windows once a year.  The costs of this service are shared in proportion to the rateable value of your flat compared to the block's rateable value.

Grounds maintenance

For blocks of flats we usually arrange to maintain the communal gardens to ensure that they are clean and attractive.  This will include sweeping, mowing grass, pruning shrubs and trees and planting or re-planting where necessary.  The costs of this service to the block are shared in proportion to its rateable value compared to the estate's total rateable value.

Service contracts

For blocks of flats we have regular service contracts for lifts, door-entry systems, fire services and the landlord's electricity supply.  The charges for your block, if any, depend on the block's rateable value.

Landlord's electricity supplies

There are metered supplies for landlord's services, which will include power for door-entry phone systems, aerial boosters, lighting in communal hallways and landings and external security lights and lifts.  The charges for your block, if any, depend on the block's rateable value.

Management charges

• Our management charges cover the following:
• providing housing management to the estate
• calculating service charges
• collecting and accounting for payments received
• arranging buildings insurance and making cliams for the structure and common parts as necessary
• supporting you if you need to make a claim under the block insurance policy
• providing newsletters and handbooks and responding to customers' queries
• making inspection visits
• consulting you and other leaseholders about managemnet arrangements and planned maintenance
• monitoring service agreements with other providers
• various expenses for office accommodation such as rent, heating, lighting
• arranging for contractors to carry out repairs and maintenance to the building and related administrative work.