What are service charges for?
Under the terms of your lease, you must contribute towards the cost of the services that you receive. The services are listed below. However, you may only receive some of these.
Caretaking
This refers to the caretaking to the estate as well as the block.
Grounds maintenance
Maintenance to grass areas and trees, shrubs and so on.
Cator Roads
This only refers to leaseholders of the Cator estate.
Refuse
The cost of hiring Paladins and Eurobins.
Concierge or CCTV
Charges include cost of staff, service and maintenance of the concierge schemes.
Communal lighting
Lighting for the block both internally and externally, for example communal walkways.
Fuel costs
The cost of fuel for the communal heating systems.
Buildings insurance
This is buildings insurance only and it includes a five per cent insurance tax. This is arranged by the Royal Borough of Greenwich's insurance team.
Block communal plant
These include such things as water boosters, dry risers, communal fans, fire alarms and lightening conductors. Charges will only be applicable to blocks that receive these services.
Boiler servicing
Boiler maintenance charges for leaseholders on the communal heating system.
Door entry servicing
Some blocks have a door entry system maintained by a contractor.
Lift servicing and maintenance
For blocks that have a lift.
Block repairs
Day-to-day repairs carried out on the block such as broken communal windows, leaking gutter, blocked refuse chutes and so on.
Estate repairs
Most leasehold properties are part of an estate and, therefore, are liable contribute towards the upkeep of that estate.
Ground rent
This is determined by the lease. In some cases, depending on when the lease was taken out, the ground rent is zero. In a lot of cases, and in all new sales, it is £10.
Management fees
Cost to the landlord for calculating and producing service charges. It includes the cost of the schedules, invoices and the cost of collecting service charges.