What is a Service Charge?
This covers the cost of services, maintenance and repairs to your building and surrounding areas. For example, cleaning of the communal corridors. Service charges are defined by your lease and by Section 18 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
What is the service charge admin fee?
This covers the cost of managing these services, such as dealing with enquiries, complaints, income collection, setting of service charges and managing contracts, repairs and other services.
What is Ground Rent?
It is the rent that all Leaseholders pay to the owner of the land (the Freeholder, Landlord or Head Lessee). Terms for this payment will be set out clearly in your lease. Ground Rent is strictly payable in accordance with those terms.
How do I pay my service charge?
You will need your invoice number (top right corner)
Pay online
or
- BACS/Home Banking payments. Sort Code 40-22-12, Account Number 21369121
- Automated telephone payments 01483 861498
- Present the barcode from your invoice at any Post office or Pay Point outlet.
Why is my charge different from last year?
The charges are based on the cost of providing repairs, maintenance and services to your building or surrounding area. They may change each year depending on what work was needed and inflation.
I didn’t live in this property during the year you have charged for, do I have to pay the invoice?
Yes, you are responsible for paying the invoice. You may wish to contact your solicitor to establish if a retention fund was left by the previous owner to pay for costs incurred during the period that they owned the property.
If there are any cost apportionments required, you will also need to contact your solicitor about this, we will not apportion the costs.
We will not contact the previous owner or the solicitors for you, you will need to make these arrangements.
If I am selling the property soon, do I have to pay the charges in full?
Yes. You should pay all the charges due on the property prior to any sale taking place. To protect the purchaser’s interests, their solicitor will want to establish that there are no debts outstanding on the property. Your own solicitor will apportion any money due back to you in the final completion statement.
Can I spread out the payments?
Payment is due within 14 days of receipt the letter. We can discuss repayment options if you are experiencing difficulties. Please email housingincome@waverley.gov.uk straight away to discuss this further.
If you sublet your property, you will not be permitted to spread out the cost, the balance will be fully payable within 14 days of receipt of the letter.
I do not believe I receive a good service for the amount I am paying. What should I do?
If you think your service is not up to standard, you can use our complaints process.
Housing complaints
If I do not agree with my service charges do I have to pay them?
If there is a part of your service charge that you dispute, contact us at housingincome@waverley.gov.uk. Tell us which part it is and why you are disputing it.
While we are investigating this, you must pay the rest of your service charges. We will write back to you with the findings of our investigation and if we uphold your dispute then the charge will be reduced or removed, as appropriate. If we do not uphold your dispute, the balance will be payable in full.
Do I have to pay service charges if my property is unoccupied?
Yes, your service charges remain payable during this time.
I am the owner of this property, but the invoice is not in my name.
Please contact us at housingincome@waverley.gov.uk. The ownership of most properties is recorded at the Land Registry. There are often restrictions to prevent registration without a certificate from the freeholder. If you contact us, we will advise you if your solicitor has applied for a certificate or not and if there are any matters that are preventing the issue of a certificate.
I have received a letter saying that I am in arrears, what will happen if I don’t arrange to make payment?
Non-payment of your service charges is a breach of your lease. If you fall behind with payments and fail to contact us, we may contact your mortgage provider to inform them of the breach of lease.
If we still don’t receive payment of the arrears, we may proceed to issue court proceedings to recover the amount.
If you are disputing an element of your charge, you must still pay the remaining amount and then pay any further amounts due after the dispute has been resolved.
If you are experiencing financial hardship you must contact us straight away at housingincome@waverley.gov.uk to discuss a repayment arrangement.
You may also wish to seek advice from Citizens Advice South West Surrey.