Service charge hike 65% - what can i do

Kynthia

It's unfortunate you didn't understand what s service charge is when you bought. If you had known it was your share of all the costs to insure, repair and maintain the building then perhaps you would have realised that it couldbt be a known amount for the years ahead. These costs go up, unexpected things break, and every now and then expensive major works need doing.

Challenge costs you think are unreasonable at the end of each year, ask for more info, when they plan major works check they got enough quotes, etc. Talk to the other leaseholders and see if there's a desire to manage the property yourselves.

bouicca21

If you want an input into priorities then you need either to lobby the management company or better, get together with the other leaseholders and go for right to manage.

If I were selling my flat I'd tell potential buyers that the service charge was in the region of £1,000 a year. But I'd expect them to notice that the hall and landings need painting in the near future, as does the exterior, and that whenever that is done, it will bump the charge up.

And I'm inclined to point out that when I bought my last house I soon found out that it needed a new boiler and had to conjure the money up out of nowhere. Properties need to be maintained, leasehold or freehold, it still needs doing.