Service Charges for Tenants and Leaseholders

A service charge is an additional payment towards the cost of providing services in blocks of flats or housing schemes such as heating and lighting, cleaning, gardening or a laundry. You will only pay for services you receive.

Service charges are calculated using the amount the council has spent in the previous full financial year and are therefore based on true costs. If you pay a service charge, you will be sent a statement showing you how it has been calculated, along with your annual rent review information.

We make no profit from service charges. The amount of the charge is the amount it costs to provide the service.  Your annual rent review letter will show you how much this charge is, and because this charge is calculated on a block by block or scheme by scheme basis, this can go up or down. 

You will receive a breakdown of how this charge has been calculated each year and the services covered could include:

• Employing a caretaker
• Cleaning shared areas, including windows, and removing dumped rubbish
• Cutting grass and looking after planted areas
• Repairs to shared facilities such as door-entry systems, television aerials and lighting
• Providing and repairing lifts, including the cost of contracts and insurance
• Providing fire fighting equipment, including repairing and testing emergency lighting and smoke alarms
• Providing water, electricity and gas supplies to shared areas

Paying your service charges

You can pay your service charges in the same way you pay your house or garage rent. If you are a council tenant, the service charge amount will be added to your weekly rent.

If you receive Housing Benefit or Housing Element (of Universal Credit), your service charges will normally be included in your payment.

Silver Service Charges

Silver Service is the intensive housing management support service we provide to our sheltered housing and personal alarm customers.

There are 2 levels of charges depending on the level of the support package in place.

Lifeline Charge

Our lifeline personal alarms are designed to provide support for those wishing to remain in their own home.  This service includes a telephone and pendant (worn on your wrist or as a necklace) which are both connected to our call centre.

There is a weekly charge for this service in addition to the weekly rent.