Service charges

At the beginning of your service charge year we will send you a letter showing your service charges for the coming year. This is called an estimate.

Service charges are calculated based upon how much we think we’re going to spend during the upcoming year for the services you receive.

We look at known servicing costs, contracts and previous year actual costs. As a result of this, your service charges may increase some years and decrease in others. 

The quickest and easiest way to pay is by logging into MyHome and setting up a secure online payment, wherever and whenever it’s most convenient for you.

You can also pay by Direct Debit.

To set up a Direct Debit, simply log in to your MyHome account or call us on 01202 319 119. You will need your your sort code and account number.

Some schemes include a reserve fund (sometimes called a sinking fund).

The purpose of this fund is to collect annual contributions from homeowners to cover the cost of future major works, such as roof replacements or cyclical decoration.

This helps avoid large one-off payments when these works are required.

Reserve funds are held in trust by the landlord and may earn interest, which is credit to the fund. These funds are also subject to Trust Tax. 

If your scheme has a reserve fund, we will send you an annual statement along with your service charge demand detailing your annual contribution.

This guides on this page will give you a general idea of service charges for your home. They won't cover your specific charges - you’ll be sent a summary of these separately.

To speak to us about your service charge, please contact us on 01202 319 119.

Depending on the type of agreement you have with us, you may be able to see a breakdown of the charges in MyPayments on MyHome. 

To ensure transparency, we will consult with you where we propose to:

• Carry out major repairs
• Enter into a long term contract

This consultation is referred to as a Section 20 consultation, and through this we provide information on the works and potential costs.

There may be occasions where work is required within a specific timescale, which means we are unable to follow the Section 20 consultation process - for example, any urgent work that relates to health and safety.  

Where this is the case, we will consult with you as much as possible and follow a process to apply for dispensation, or limit the charges made to the agreed caps.