Who do we go to for help with Services Charges 305% increase for 1 bed flat?

ChevroletCamaroz28

We had a letter to say Guinness Partnership are increasing our Service Charges by 305% for our 1 bedroom ground floor flat in Kingsway, Gloucestershire (we own the flat but Guinness own the lease). Our ground floor flat is part of the building that comprises of three flats with a 4 x 8 metre communal garden. It used to be £54.26 per month and in this new financial year it will be £ 219.93 per month just for services charges. This is amount is half our mortgage per month and there is no way we can afford it. There has been no warning of this, only one letter to say they are looking into new contractors and they would let us know any further details and next we hear from them is a bill for £219.93 per month = £2639.11 for the year. Have tried to contact Guiness but are still waiting to hear back.
The breakdown for the year is as follows;
Gardening; £ 197.45
Cleaning (for a small stairwell to three flats); £1898.19
Repairs; £ 54.55
Communal electricity; £ 54.25
Management fee; £330.67
Buildings Insurance; £104
There is no major replacement/renovation works planned.

Please does any one have any advice on our rights to challenge this extortionate increased amount? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Deleted User]

What does your contract say re increases?

ACG

ChevroletCamaroz28 wrote: »

We had a letter to say Guinness Partnership are increasing our Service Charges by 305% for our 1 bedroom ground floor flat in Kingsway, Gloucestershire (we own the flat but Guinness own the lease). Our ground floor flat is part of the building that comprises of three flats with a 4 x 8 metre communal garden. It used to be £54.26 per month and in this new financial year it will be £ 219.93 per month just for services charges. This is amount is half our mortgage per month and there is no way we can afford it. There has been no warning of this, only one letter to say they are looking into new contractors and they would let us know any further details and next we hear from them is a bill for £219.93 per month = £2639.11 for the year. Have tried to contact Guiness but are still waiting to hear back.
The breakdown for the year is as follows;
Gardening; £ 197.45
Cleaning (for a small stairwell to three flats); £1898.19
Repairs; £ 54.55
Communal electricity; £ 54.25
Management fee; £330.67
Buildings Insurance; £104
There is no major replacement/renovation works planned.

Please does any one have any advice on our rights to challenge this extortionate increased amount? Any advice would be appreciated.

Are you sure that is not the total cost divided by the 3 flats?

bouicca21

The cleaning cost looks way too high. Query it.


And yes, that looks like the total for the building, not per flat.

Jacquelyne

Looks like £2639.11 is the total cost for the block as a whole. Your share of this (assuming it is split equally between the 3 flats) would be £879.70 for the year i.e. £73.30 per month.


Or they may have split the cost out on a quarterly basis which would be £219.92 every three months. Does your bill definitely say that £219.93 is the monthly cost or is this just the cost for the first quarter?


Either way, the cleaning cost looks very disproportionate and I would definitely query this amount.