When a flat or maisonette is purchased under the Right to Buy scheme or on the open market, the council is still responsible for the upkeep of the structure, exterior and communal areas of the block and for providing services.
As a leaseholder you have to pay a share of the cost of these services, called a service charge.
Service charges are paid to the council to cover your share of the cost of managing, maintaining, repairing, insuring and providing services to the block or estate you live in.
Service charges are divided into four areas:
- services
- block repairs
- block insurance
- management costs
You might also have extra charges to pay if you purchase a property in certain blocks of flats that has extra facilities such as:
- caretaking services
- cleaning shared areas
- window cleaning to communal areas
- lift services
- fire equipment
- street cleaning within the boundaries
- electricity and communal lighting
- door-entry system
- communal TV aerial system
Services
Services vary from one block to another and one estate to another.
Generally this will cover maintaining any grassed area and shared gardens, and cleaning shared areas.
Block repairs and maintenance
We are committed to making sure your home is in a good state of repair, and we aim to carry out regular maintenance to make sure the structure of the outside of your home is secure and weatherproof.
Buildings insurance
We insure you against loss of, or damage caused to, the buildings.
A summary of this cover is available on request.
We will insure the building your home is in for the full cost of rebuilding it, not for the price we would get for selling it.
Management costs
The management costs cover your contribution for:
- administrative costs to send out your invoices every three months
- administrative costs of dealing with any repairs that may need carrying out
- surveyors who come and look at the structural repairs to check what work needs to be done
- administrative costs of dealing with insurance claims
- administrative costs of working out your service charges
- the staff who are on hand to answer any queries you may have
We review your service charges every year. The amount you pay is based on how much of the block you live in.
Ground rent
All council leaseholders have to pay an annual ground rent of £10.
Ground rent is due annually in advance and will be due on the anniversary of the original sale of your property.
