Rent and Service Charges - Questions and Answers

Service charges are based on the actual cost of providing extra services to your home over and above the basic provision of maintenance, management and long-term investment.

These costs vary year-to-year, so we change the service charge to match the cost of providing these services.

Why do I pay a service charge for a lift I never use?

Lifts are provided for everyone in a block to use. The service charge covers the cost of providing and maintaining the lift, which can be used by any tenant. Where a block benefits from a lift all the households are expected to contribute to the cost of providing this important facility.

I pay my water rates so why do I have to pay a service charge for sewerage to the Council?

Water rates are only for the supply of fresh water and not for sewerage. Your sewerage is processed through a system owned by the Council not the water company. The Council needs to recover the costs of providing this service for you.