Service charge FAQs

Fixed service charges 

In line with your tenancy agreement, fixed service charges are set for the year ahead based on the known costs. Any unknown costs are calculated using previous years accounts for your building or estate, with an increase to account for inflation. We also consider any information we have about service changes that may happen during the year. 

Fixed service charges are different from variable service charges and are not based on actual costs. This means that should the costs for your building or estate be overspent at the end of the year, we cannot come back to you to request any further money. It also means that should the building or estate be under spent; no money will be returned to you. 

We provide a wide range of services. The services we provide differ depending on where you live and the local facilities available. Not everyone receives these services as it’s not always possible to provide them in your area. Here are a few examples of the services that may be included in your service charge:

• Caretaking
• Cleaning and window cleaning- communal
• Gardening of communal areas
• Lighting/ heating in communal areas
• Fire safety protection.

Full details of the service charges applied to you can be found in in your rent and service charge notice letter.
Not all services are paid for via your service charge. If you’re a tenant, for example, your rent includes an element covering general repairs, decorating and buildings insurance.

Within your rent notice you will be provided with the details of the services you receive, and the costs associated with providing each element. Please reference the booklet referred to in your rent letter for full details. 

The service supports residents in the event of a resident activating their pendant or speech module. The call will be actioned by Tunstall Response in the first instance and passed to the bpha 24/7 support team if a call out is deemed necessary.

The increase in costs reflects the increase in National Insurance and rise in the National Living Wage that were introduced by the government last year.

To find out more about bulky waste, see our FAQs here.

• Scheme Management Charge is a contribution towards a percentage of your scheme manager and scheme area managers salary costs.
• Management fee is a contribution towards the costs of managing all leaseholder accounts, for example estimating and reconciling the service charge
• Management Company fee is the cost charged by the external Management Company for the services they manage and maintain on the estate.

If you live in an independent or supported scheme, your service charge may include an amount to cover staff employed at the scheme, such as support workers, or costs associated with maintaining communal areas, such as gardens, laundry rooms and shared lounges.

In the first instance, please contact either your neighbourhood housing officer or the customer communications centre who will be able to guide you to the right team. You can also email [email protected]  

Please contact us, detailing which service you believe you do not receive and why. We will check this information, which can sometimes take a while – as we may need to visit the property or scheme, as well as contacting providers and checking accounts. If you are correct, we will adjust your account and credit you with your share of the relevant costs. Contact at [email protected]

Please contact us, detailing which service was not up to standard. We will investigate, as well as liaise with the contract manager for the service, and respond to you.  
If the service failure is confirmed, we will credit you with your share of the relevant costs. If the services are provided by another company, for example a managing agent who provides services to a scheme, we will pass on your complaint to them, and let you know their response. To get in touch with us please email [email protected] 

If you know that you receive a service but there is no service listed,  this is likely to be because of the type of tenancy you are on. If you are an affordable rent or intermediate rental customer then your rent is inclusive of service charges, you are not charged separately for these. There is no need to do anything unless you have an issue with the service being provided. Then refer to the question about this above.

To find out more about external managing agents, see our FAQs here.

Your account will be credited or debited with the difference between what we estimated your service charges to be and what the actual cost was. This is known as a "True-Up" and will appear on my.account and/or your statement.