Understanding service charges
A service charge is an additional fee on top of your rent that contributes to the maintenance and operation of your building, and/or communal areas.
These charges are common in properties with shared access and/or shared spaces used or enjoyed by more than one customer.
- What does it pay for?
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Service charges include things like:
- Maintaining common areas – This includes cleaning hallways, stairwells, and ground maintenance like grass cutting and gardening
- Shared utilities – Things like electricity for lifts or lighting in common areas
- Building services – This could include repairs to the roof, lifts, or other parts of the building that everyone uses
- Management fees – Covers the cost of managing the building and keeping things running smoothly.
- How much is it?
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The amount you pay will depend on the specific services offered in your building and the size of it. The cost is based on the actual running costs of those services. For example, the cost of communal electricity is based on the usage and standing charges for the common areas.
- Are service charges covered by Housing Benefit or Universal Credit?
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If you receive Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, some of your service charges may be covered in full or part (depending on your claim type). Please contact us if you need more information.
- Where can I find more details?
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Each March, we will send you a detailed breakdown of your service charges. This breakdown will explain the services you receive and the associated costs for each.
Please see below for more details about each service charge.
Communal cleaning
Find out more about our approach to cleaning of internal and external communal areas for which we are responsible, including stairways, landings, refuse areas and much more.
Grounds maintenance
The upkeep of green areas including car parks and service roads, including grass cutting (see schedule), pruning, tree and weed maintenance.
Facilities technician
Facilities technician 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 management fee covers 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.
