Service charges

This cost covers gardening including cutting grass, clearing weeds and any other gardening work. The frequency will depend on the size and maturity of the garden. Costs are set by the gardening contractor.  All our properties are checked to make sure the gardens are maintained and access to your home is safe. 

Communal cleaning includes a regular visit to all applicable homes. This ensures all communal areas are cleaned and maintained to a safe standard. 

The work might be carried out by internal or external contractors depending on the service. All materials for carrying out these duties are also included in the charge. 

Communal and external window cleaning costs are also set by an external contractor for your home. They have then been shared across our homes to keep costs low. 

To find the best possible fuel costs for you each year, we use a specialist utilities process. This means our fixed rate contracts are agreed in bulk across all communal utilities across our homes. 

We work out your utility costs by taking your average costs for the previous year. We then increase this by the same amount as our utility costs per unit have increased. 

Sometimes, we may need to pay another company for waste removal. This could be for bulky or specialist waste. When this happens, it will be included as a service charge. 

Costs for pest control are set by an external contractor. We try to predict spends on pest control, but it can depend on how many situations arise. 

Many of our homes have a combined fire detection and alarm along with emergency lighting. An engineer will make a regular visit to ensure that these systems are working and up to date.   

Fire extinguishers are also provided in certain homes. We will service and inspect these to ensure they are safe. This can also incur a service charge.

Some of our supported properties may include something called intensive housing management or a concierge service.

Intensive housing management can include some of the following: 

• Dealing with referrals or applications to the service 
• Signposting individuals depending on their support needs 
• Advice on rent arrears such as setting up repayment plans 
• Helping secure or set up a tenancy 
• Support with Housing Benefit claims 
• Dealing with anti-social behaviour issues. This could include attending court and serving notices 
• Arranging access for housing maintenance to complete day to day repairs 
• Health and safety compliance 
• Arranging for yearly fire risk assessments and servicing 

This may also include costs for a door entry system and CCTV.  

Intensive housing management is calculated at an average two hours of activity per home, per week.  

Concierge service is provided: 

• 12 hours per night Monday to Friday 
• 24 hours per day each weekend and bank holiday 

Services may include any extra services or facilities provided for you. 

This is calculated based on the cost of each item and appliance. We also consider the life span of the item, and the quantity purchased. The life span of the product affects when the product will be replaced. Any furniture or white goods are owned by us. 

This charge covers annual gas servicing and any required works to the system to the heating in communal areas.

This charge is for any responsive repairs done by a contractor. When these works are carried out by us directly, the charge is based on a comparable contractor rate for the same service. Only responsive repairs to communal areas are included in your service charge. Repairs to your home are covered by your rent unless chargeable. 

The water in your home will be checked to ensure you remain safe and that we meet any health and safety regulations. We will also test for legionella.  

Some baths, showers and sinks have temperature management valves fitted. These need regular maintenance to ensure the water temperature remains safe to use. 

Sometimes communal areas may need to be redecorated. This is typically carried out every three to five years. It usually covers repainting of walls, ceilings and replacement of flooring where needed. 

In some of our homes, we add a void and bad debt cover charge to the service charge. This applies to situations where a building is only partly occupied and the costs of providing services isn't fully covered from the service charges received from the current customers.

The charge only applies to components of the rent and service charge that are eligible for payment via Housing Benefit. 

These costs cover any expenses incurred for providing services to customers. These costs are a part of your tenancy agreement. 15% of the total cost of the eligible service charges is allocated against the cost of arranging any services that have been provided. Actual costs to arrange and manage all services is 22%. However, to keep this charge reasonable we have chosen to cap this charge at 15%.

There also could be other costs that may be service chargeable on a site-by-site basis. Examples include:  

• Broadband 
• Servicing of hoists 
• Alarms 
• TV licence 
• Door entry systems 

You can check your service charge using My Home Account.

Register or log in to manage your account online.

The service charge forms part of your total rent charge so you don’t need to make a separate payment. To make a rent payment online register or login to My Home Account.

You’ll have agreed to pay your service charge amount under the terms of your tenancy when you signed your agreement. If you’re no longer happy with the amount you pay for your service charge, please contact us by joining our Live Chat or visiting our contact us page.

If you’re on a low income or struggling to pay, you might be able to get some help towards your housing costs - in this case most service charges are covered by housing benefit or Universal Credit.