Service charge: What it covers

Examples of items included in service charges are:

Repairs

These are day to day repairs and maintenance to communal parts of your block and/or estate.

Caretaking/Cleaning

This covers the service carried out by caretaking and cleaning staff. It includes a proportion of the caretaker’s salary and on costs, supervision, overheads, cleaning materials and equipment, telephone and transport costs. 

Grounds maintenance

This includes seasonal grass cutting, maintenance of flower beds, planting, pruning, and minor tree work on the estate and/or block grounds. The work may be carried out by contractors. 

Tree works

This is the cost of surgery to trees on grounds around your block and/or estate. The work will be carried out by contractors. 

Bulk rubbish collection

This includes charges for the removal and disposal of bulk rubbish left on the estate and/or block where we are unable to identify and prove who was responsible for leaving it there. 

Lifts

This is for the running of the lift service. It can include the cost of electricity, inspection, repairs and maintenance to ensure the lifts are in safe, working order. 

TV aerials

This is a charge for the use and maintenance of communal TV aerials.

Door entry

This is the cost of running and maintaining door entry systems and can include electricity and repair costs.

Communal electricity

This is the cost of electricity used in communal areas, such as lighting hallways, footways, paths and grounds.

Communal heating

This is for the cost of heating if a communal heating system heats your home.

Lightning protection

This is the cost of providing protection to the building structure. In the event of a lightning strike it absorbs the shock.

Buildings insurance

This is the cost of insuring the building.

Management charge

This charge is for the cost of managing the building and/or estate. It includes a proportion of costs for staffing, telephone, IT and overheads.

The Home Ownership services provided within this charge are:

  • Setting service charges and service charge calculation
  • Billing
  • Stage 1 and 2 arrears recovery
  • Buildings insurance queries
  • Complaints handling
  • Telephone service
  • Setting and monitoring repayment agreements
  • Service charge queries
  • Mediation / dispute resolution
  • First Tier Tribunals (Property Chamber), previusly known as Leasehold Valuation Tribunals
  • Reception visits / home visits
  • Breach of covenant
  • Leaks and repairs
  • Leaseholder engagement, such as Home Ownership Working Group and Open Evenings
  • General advisory service to leaseholders
  • Boundary queries
  • Producing leasehold publications