Service Charge Guide Windsor Housing Association, Swaythling Housing Society Ltd, Drum Housing Association and Longwood Park registered as the Freeholder of your property are subsidiaries of Radian. Radian manages and maintains the structure and communal parts of the building your flat is in. Service Charges Under your lease you are responsible for paying a fair share of the estate and block running costs, Ground Rent (if applicable), Buildings Insurance, Management Fee and/or Administration Charge. Each year we will send you either an Estimate and an Actual statement or an annual Service Charge invoice.
Annual Service Charge Invoices This shows all expenditure for your block and/or estate for the last year and the upcoming year s charges for Buildings Insurance and Management Fee. Your property s account reference number is shown at the top of your invoice and should be quoted on each payment you make and when you contact us. If you have a query with an invoice or wish to discuss a payment arrangement please contact us on 0300 123 1567 or email leasehold.advice@radian.co.uk Estimate Invoices Service charges are based on estimated costs of providing services for the coming financial year and are usually a proportion of the previous year s actual premium. At the same time you will be issued with a demand for any Ground Rent payable. Actual Invoices Actual expenditure is calculated when we have received all invoices for a year and may result in differences called surpluses and deficits. Actual accounts are finalised and audited after the financial year end and will usually be issued in September.
How costs are allocated Services carried out on your estate or in your block have to be shared fairly by all residents and your Lease sets out how this should be done. There are a number of factors used commonly in leases. Factor based on the number of bedrooms in your property; 1 bed = 2.5, 2 bed = 3.0 and 3 Bed = 3.5 For example, a one bedroom flat in a block of six one bedroom flats would include a factor of 2.5/15. The 2.5 relates to the flat and the 15 relates to the block (6 flats x 2.5 = 15), so each flat would pay 2.5/15 which equals 1/6 of the costs. Factor based on equally dividing cost between the properties in a block. For example, in a block of six flats each leaseholder is liable for 1/6 th of the total costs. Or a less commonly method of apportionment is by total floor sqm. Your lease will state which method is to be used.
Buildings Insurance Cover Radian insures all its buildings and the policy covers the full rebuild cost of the building. However, it does not insure the contents of your home so you need to have contents insurance. A summary of the terms of cover is available in the Leaseholder advice section on our website www.radian.co.uk or we can send you a copy if you contact us on 0300 123 1567 or at Leaseholder.advice@radian.co.uk Payment Methods and Arrears There are a number of ways to pay your service charges, including: Direct Debit Standing Order Telephone Payment on 0300 123 1567 Cheque please make payable to Radian Cash On Line @ www.radian.co.uk/payonline If you contact us please tell us your property address and your contact address (if different).
Managing Arrears Please help us by paying your service charge on time. If you dispute any part of your service charge you must continue to pay the amount due until the query is fully resolved. Frequently Asked Questions Why do Homeowners pay for everything? All tenants of the rented stock do not receive invoices for charges payable. All the same services are recovered through a weekly service charge or their weekly rent. Why do I have to pay for work not carried out to my property? Under the terms of your lease you have to pay a fair share of costs for managing and maintaining the structure and services of the estate and in the block your property is in. What should I do if I am living away from the property? Please tell us your contact address. If you intend to sub-let the property, and your lease requires consent for this, you must send us a Notice of Sub-Letting for each tenancy change which includes your tenant s full details and a certified copy of the tenancy agreement.
Do I need to get Insurance? Radian insures the building and your charge is based on the current insurance premium shared by all properties. This insurance does not include the contents of your home so you must make your own arrangements for this. What help can I get if I have a problem paying the Service Charge? If you have any problems paying your service charges, please contact us. We can discuss your situation and put an acceptable payment plan in place. If you do not make contact we will have to take action to recover the money you owe us. If you are on a low income, we may be able to help you get certain benefits. Our Welfare Benefits Advisors and Financial Inclusion Officers will be able to help and advise you.
Appendix A Summary of tenants rights & obligations SECTION 153 COMMONHOLD AND LEASEHOLD REFORM ACT 2002 (SERVICE CHARGES) (1) This summary, which briefly sets out your rights and obligations in relation to variable service charges, must by law accompany a demand for service charges. Unless a summary is sent to you with a demand, you may withhold the service charge. The summary does not give a full interpretation of the law and if you are in any doubt about your rights and obligations you should seek independent advice. (2) Your lease sets out your obligations to pay service charges to your landlord in addition to your rent. Service charges are amounts payable for services, repairs, maintenance, improvements, insurance or the landlord's costs of management, to the extent that the costs have been reasonably incurred. (3) You have the right to ask a leasehold valuation tribunal to determine whether you are liable to pay service charges for services, repairs, maintenance, improvements, insurance or management. You may make a request before or after you have paid the service charge. If the tribunal determines that the service charge is payable, the tribunal may also determine- who should pay the service charge and who it should be paid to; the amount; the date it should be paid by; and How it should be paid. However, you do not have these rights where- a matter has been agreed or admitted by you;
a matter has already been, or is to be, referred to arbitration or has been determined by arbitration and you agreed to go to arbitration after the disagreement about the service charge or costs arose; or A matter has been decided by a court. (4) If your lease allows your landlord to recover costs incurred or that may be incurred in legal proceedings as service charges, you may ask the court or tribunal, before which those proceedings were brought, to rule that your landlord may not do so. (5) Where you seek a determination from a leasehold valuation tribunal, you will have to pay an application fee and, where the matter proceeds to a hearing, a hearing fee, unless you qualify for a waiver or reduction. The total fees payable will not exceed 500, but making an application may incur additional costs, such as professional fees, which you may also have to pay. (6) A leasehold valuation tribunal has the power to award costs, not exceeding 500, against a party to any proceedings where- it dismisses a matter because it is frivolous, vexatious or an abuse of process; or It considers a party has acted frivolously, vexatiously, abusively, disruptively or unreasonably. The Lands Tribunal has similar powers when hearing an appeal against a decision of a leasehold valuation tribunal. (7) If your landlord- proposes works on a building or any other premises that will cost you or any other tenant more than 250, or proposes to enter into an agreement for works or services which will last for more than 12 months and will cost you or any other tenant more than 100 in any 12 month accounting period, Your contribution will be limited to these amounts unless your landlord has properly consulted on the proposed works or
agreement or a leasehold valuation tribunal has agreed that consultation is not required. (8) You have the right to apply to a leasehold valuation tribunal to ask it to determine whether your lease should be varied on the grounds that it does not make satisfactory provision in respect of the calculation of a service charge payable under the lease. (9) You have the right to write to your landlord to request a written summary of the costs which make up the service charges. The summary must- cover the last 12 month period used for making up the accounts relating to the service charge ending no later than the date of your request, where the accounts are made up for 12 month periods; or Cover the 12 month period ending with the date of your request, where the accounts are not made up for 12 month periods. The summary must be given to you within 1 month of your request or 6 months of the end of the period to which the summary relates whichever is the later. (10) You have the right, within 6 months of receiving a written summary of costs, to require the landlord to provide you with reasonable facilities to inspect the accounts, receipts and other documents supporting the summary and for taking copies or extracts from them. (11) You have the right to ask an accountant or surveyor to carry out an audit of the financial management of the premises containing your dwelling, to establish the obligations of your landlord and the extent to which the service charges you pay are being used efficiently. It will depend on your circumstances whether you can exercise this right alone or only with the support of others living in
the premises. You are strongly advised to seek independent advice before exercising this right. (12) Your lease may give your landlord a right of re-entry or forfeiture where you have failed to pay charges which are properly due under the lease. However, to exercise this right, the landlord must meet all the legal requirements and obtain a court order. A court order will only be granted if you have admitted you are liable to pay the amount or it is finally determined by a court, tribunal or by arbitration that the amount is due. The court has a wide discretion in granting such an order and it will take into account all the circumstances of the case.
Appendix B Summary of tenants rights & obligations SCHEDULE 11 OF SECTION 158 COMMONHOLD AND LEASEHOLD REFORM ACT 2002 (ADMINISTRATION CHARGES) (1) This summary, which briefly sets out your rights and obligations in relation to administration charges, must by law accompany a demand for administration charges. Unless a summary is sent to you with a demand, you may withhold the administration charge. The summary does not give a full interpretation of the law and if you are in any doubt about your rights and obligations you should seek independent advice. (2) An administration charge is an amount which may be payable by you as part of or in addition to the rent directly or indirectly For or in connection with the grant of an approval under your lease, or an application for such approval; for or in connection with the provision of information or documents; in respect of your failure to make any payment due under your lease; or In connection with a breach of a covenant or condition of your lease. If you are liable to pay an administration charge, it is payable only to the extent that the amount is reasonable.
(3) Any provision contained in a grant of a lease under the right to buy under the Housing Act 1985, which claims to allow the landlord to charge a sum for consent or approval, is void. (4) You have the right to ask a leasehold valuation tribunal whether an administration charge is payable. You may make a request before or after you have paid the administration charge. If the tribunal determines the charge is payable, the tribunal may also determine who should pay the administration charge and who it should be paid to; the amount; the date it should be paid by; and How it should be paid. However, you do not have this right where a matter has been agreed to or admitted by you; a matter has been, or is to be, referred to arbitration or has been determined by arbitration and you agreed to go to arbitration after the disagreement about the administration charge arose; or A matter has been decided by a court. (5) You have the right to apply to a leasehold valuation tribunal for an order varying the lease on the grounds that any administration charge specified in the lease, or any formula specified in the lease for calculating an administration charge is unreasonable. (6) Where you seek a determination or order from a leasehold valuation tribunal, you will have to pay an application fee and, where the matter proceeds to a hearing, a hearing fee, unless you qualify for a waiver or reduction. The total fees payable to the tribunal will not
exceed 500, but making an application may incur additional costs, such as professional fees, which you may have to pay. (7) A leasehold valuation tribunal has the power to award costs, not exceeding 500, against a party to any proceedings where it dismisses a matter because it is frivolous, vexatious or an abuse of process; or it considers that a party has acted frivolously, vexatiously, abusively, disruptively or unreasonably. The Lands Tribunal has similar powers when hearing an appeal against a decision of a leasehold valuation tribunal. (8) Your lease may give your landlord a right of re-entry or forfeiture where you have failed to pay charges which are properly due under the lease. However, to exercise this right, the landlord must meet all the legal requirements and obtain a court order. A court order will only be granted if you have admitted you are liable to pay the amount or it is finally determined by a court, a tribunal or by arbitration that the amount is due. The court has a wide discretion in granting such an order and it will take into account all the circumstances of the case.
Useful contacts - other organisations The Pension Service If you are receiving pension credit call 0845 6060265 for assistance with paying service charges. Department of Works and Pensions If you are out of work or disabled call 0800 882200 for advice on assistance for paying service charges. Citizens Advice Bureau Please call to make an appointment: 0844 826 9715 or visit their website at www.adviceguide.org.uk National Debtline, Tricorn House, 51-53 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B16 8TP Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) Gives free legal advice on leasehold issues. 31 Worship Street, London EC2A 2DX Phone: 020 7374 5380 Web: www.lease-advice.org Leasehold Valuation Tribunal 10 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7LR Phone: 0845 600 3178