Service Charges
Service charges cover the costs we incur to provide services to communal areas. If you are in receipt of Housing Benefit, your service charges will be covered in full or part (depending on your claim type) by Housing Benefit. If you are in receipt of Universal Credit, all service charges apart from ground floor window cleaning will be covered.
Please note, this year’s service charges that start in April 2023 are based on last year’s running costs and we have already paid for this service. This year’s services will be reflected in next years’ service charges costs that will be collected from April 2024.
Please see below for more details about each service charge.
Communal cleaning
Cleaning of internal and external communal areas for which we are responsible, including stairways, landings, refuse areas and occasional deep cleaning.
Estate maintenance
The upkeep of green areas including car parks and service roads, including grass cutting, pruning, tree maintenance and control of weeds.
Caretakers/bin refuse
Caretaker site visits ensuring communal areas meet health and safety requirements, e.g. test the fire alarm and rotate any communal bins.
Water hygiene tests
The cost of carrying out water risk tests, which includes regular checks for Legionella (the bacteria found in communal water tanks and equipment).
Stair lifts
Two servicing visits and two maintenance visits per year for stair lifts and through-floor lifts.
Communal electricity
Lighting, heating and electrically powered items e.g. lifts, CCTV cameras and door entry systems.
Lift service maintenance
The cost of servicing and maintaining any communal lifts in your building.
Door entry maintenance
The cost of maintaining the door entry system allowing access to your building.
Communal water
Water incurred for laundries, communal cleaning and sprinkler systems.
Communal heating (gas)
Heating the communal areas, including corridors within your building.
CCTV
Renewing and replacing CCTV equipment and associated running costs.
Communal window cleaning
The cost of cleaning windows in the communal areas of your building.
Management fee
A fee to cover the costs we incur to manage services on your estate or block.
Centre charges (COMCAR)
The maintenance and running cost of community centres on sheltered sites.
Fire safety
Maintenance, testing and repair of fire alarms and sprinkler system by external contractors.
Communal TV aerial
The maintenance and repair costs for any communal TV aerial/system.
