If you live in one of our blocks, you will pay a service charge for maintenance of communal or surrounding areas. This includes cleaning communal areas, external maintenance, fire safety devices, lighting, lifts, and grass cutting. Service charges can be ‘fixed’ or ‘variable’. If you pay a variable service charge, we will consult with you before making any major changes, and you can ask for a summary of costs.

Your tenancy agreement will clearly show what services we will provide as part of your rent. If you are on a ‘social’ tenancy, any service charges that you need to pay will be detailed as a separate fixed amount alongside your rent. If you are on an ‘affordable’ or ‘market rent’ tenancy, the service charge is set as part of your rent amount.

We review service charges each year and may increase them. When they increase, we always aim to stay in line with Government recommendations to help keep charges affordable for customers. If we cannot do this, we’ll explain why when we write to you.

Shared ownership and leaseholder service charges 

• Some shared owners will pay a service charge for maintenance of communal or surrounding areas. This includes cleaning communal areas, external maintenance, fire safety devices, lighting, lifts, and grass cutting.
• Shared owners and leaseholders also pay a service charge for the upkeep, repairs and improvements of buildings, and building insurance.
• If you pay a variable service charge, we will consult with you before making any major changes to the amount you pay. Please see point 1.9 of the rent and service charge policy for more information about this.