Full list of service charges (A-Z)

Care Call and monitoring: line rental

This is the fee we pay for the servicing and maintenance of the telecare equipment (pull cords) and fire alarm systems.

X

Care Call and monitoring: responsive works

This is the fee we pay for the servicing and maintenance of the telecare equipment (pull cords) and fire alarm systems, as well as the fees to the telecare monitoring centre who staff the phones 24 hours a day, 7 days per week for alarm activations.

X

Care Call and monitoring: contracted works

This is fee to the telecare monitoring centre who staff the phones 24 hours a day, 7 days per week for alarm activations.

X

Caretaking and other staff costs

Employment costs for caretaking staff and scheme officers. This includes salary and vehicle costs and the cost of employing any required temporary staff. If you do not have a caretaker, these could be costs for a Scheme Officer, Concierge or Estate Guardians. You’ll only be charged for a service that is delivered to your block or estate.

X

CCTV maintenance: responsive works

Repairs to the communal CCTV monitoring systems.

X

CCTV maintenance: contracted works

Servicing and monitoring of the communal CCTV monitoring systems.

X

Cleaning: bulk waste removal and bin hire

This covers the removal of bulk items of waste from bin stores or communal areas of your block or estate, including fly tipping. This can also include the actual cleaning of the bins (as opposed to emptying them) if a deep clean is required or bin hire. Bin hire is where we need to lease the actual bins, usually from the council, so that they fit their collection trucks.

X

Cleaning: contracted cleaning service

This is the cost of providing the contracted cleaning service for your block or estate. The schedule of routine tasks undertaken are detailed in the specification for your block/estate.

X

Cleaning: responsive cleaning

Where cleaning services are required on an ad-hoc basis within communal areas outside the contracted service provision. Examples include: one-off deep cleans (not included in the contract), clearing up of spillages and health and safety cleans.

X

Cleaning: communal window cleaning contract

For the cleaning of communal windows on a routine basis, in line with the agreed contract specification. This does not include individual residents' property windows.

X

Communal electric bills

Communal electricity charges such as internal and external lighting in your block/estate/group.

X

Communal gas bills including communal heating 

This includes the cost of gas for communal boilers and heating systems

X

Communal signs

Cost for communal signs such as ‘No smoking’ or ‘No ball games’ to your block or estate.

X

Communal water charges

Charges for the supply of water to your block or estate as well as the removal of any waste water.

X

Concierge service

The provision of staff at your block to carry out activities such as monitoring CCTV, alarms and access to your building.

X

Creek maintenance

Regular maintenance for any creeks.

X

Controlled door entry: responsive works

The costs for repairing the door entry system or any other secured or gated entrances to your development.

X

Controlled door entry: contracted works

The costs for servicing and maintaining the door entry system.

X

Electrical maintenance incl. bulbs and inspections

This will cover the cost of providing statutory electrical inspections.

X

Electrical maintenance: inspections

This will cover the cost of providing statutory electrical inspections.

X

Electrical maintenance: PAT testing

This will cover the cost of providing statutory PAT testing for electrical items in the communal areas.

X

Electrical maintenance: responsive works

This is the cost to complete any remedial works identified in the inspections.

X

Fire safety: contract servicing

The statutory servicing and inspection of communal fire alarm systems, emergency lighting, smoke detectors and fire equipment undertaken by our contractors.

X

Fire safety: responsive repairs

The cost for any works that have been identified during regular inspections. This may include battery or bulb replacements, engineer call-outs and repairs to, and upgrades of, fire safety equipment.

X

Fire safety: risk assessments

Some of our buildings require fire risk assessments (which have to be renewed regularly). These are carried out by a qualified assessor, to ensure homes are safe and meet all safety standards.

Furniture and white goods: laundry equipment lease

These costs are for the rental of communal laundry appliances including washers, dryers and dishwashers.

X

Furniture and white goods: responsive works

These costs are for the rental of communal laundry appliances including washers, dryers and dishwashers; as well as a budget for any replacement communal furnishings such as sofas, tables, chairs and communal blinds or curtains. The budget also includes provision for an annual clean of communal kitchen ventilation systems.

X

Furniture and white goods: white goods renewals

These costs are for upgrading the communal laundry appliances including washers, dryers and dishwashers that are rented by you.

X

Gates and barriers: responsive works

The costs for repairs to any secured or gated entrances to your development.

X

Gates and barriers: contracted works

The costs for servicing and maintaining any secured or gated entrances to your development.

X

Grounds maintenance: contracted works

The cost of a grounds maintenance contract including the upkeep of private roads, footpaths, parking areas, and the cost of gardening equipment.

X

Grounds maintenance: responsive works

This covers any additional work that needs to be carried out but that isn’t covered by the standard grounds maintenance contracts, for example, planting.

X

Grounds maintenance: tree works

This covers any tree work required which falls outside of the standard grounds maintenance contract.

X

Lift maintenance: lift inspections

All lift contract and inspection costs.

X

Lift maintenance: mobility lift servicing and repairs

All mobility lift servicing, maintenance and insurance costs.

X

Lift maintenance: passenger lift servicing and repairs

All lift servicing, maintenance and insurance costs.

X

Management company costs (all resident costs)

Costs for services and repairs provided to the block or estate by a third party management company.

X

Management charge

Management fees are costs associated to the delivery of services to your home and community. They cover the cost of delivering the service, defined by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and The Property Institute (TPI), who both outline a summary of services provided by landlords, which can form part of a management fee.
They include, but are not limited to, services such as:

• Management of the service charge cycle, including calculation, administration, accountant reviews, issuing statements, budgets and liaising with customers and residents’ associations
• Management of health and safety, fire and other appropriate risk assessments in accordance with the statutory requirements and, where necessary, in liaison with the relevant public authorities
• Income collection and debt recovery
• Management of building insurance
• The supervision of staff such as caretakers, gardeners and cleaners
• Contract management and procurement of property management/maintenance services in respect of, for example, lifts, boilers and cleaning
• Neighbourhood Officers or other staff visits to the property to check its condition and deal with minor repairs to buildings, plants, fixtures and fittings
• Managing and providing responses to enquiries from customers
• Contract information retention and management
• Communicating changes to legislation with customers
• Offices, salaries, national insurance, pensions, training, computer systems, telephones, post and stationery which are required to deliver services.

We do not make a profit on the service and simply pass on the cost whilst seeking to ensure that we continue to provide value for money. We balance service and costs based on feedback from our customers and benchmarking of standards.

X

Pest control: planned programme

The costs of surveys and treatment for the removal of pests from communal areas.

X

Pest control: responsive works

The costs of ad-hoc treatment for the removal of pests from communal areas.

X

Play area inspection and maintenance

The statutory inspection of communal play areas and equipment on your estate.

X

Provisions

These are regular amounts collected as part of the service charge, put into a provision fund. This covers the future cost of larger items that need to be replaced from time to time, such as door entry systems and lifts. In addition, homeowners’ provisions may be collected to cover external redecorations and repairs to the structure of the building.

X

River walk maintenance

For Rochester Riverside river walk maintenance.

X

River wall maintenance

For Rochester Riverside river wall maintenance.

X

Surplus/deficit from previous years

For tenants, this is the surplus or deficit from the previous financial year, which is applied to your estimated service charges.

TV aerial costs

This is for the maintenance of communal aerials and other satellite services.

X

Water hygiene

The cost of providing assessments and associated works in relation to legionella and water hygiene. We must ensure that there is no risk of legionella related illness to our customers within their homes. Legionella is a bacteria that lives in water. Where there is communal stored water within a building, we’ll carry out a risk assessment every two years, along with annual and six monthly maintenance. More complex systems may also include weekly flushing of infrequently used outlets such as taps, monthly monitoring and quarterly shower cleaning and descaling.

X

Water pump/sewerage servicing

This covers regular maintenance inspections and safety tests carried out by our contractor. In relation to cesspits, this will also include regular emptying. 

X

Asbestos: communal - leaseholders only

This includes asbestos surveys or inspections and any necessary works.

We have a duty to manage asbestos within our buildings. This means we’ll inspect asbestos in communal areas regularly, and leave the asbestos in place if it’s in good condition or encapsulate/remove the asbestos if it is likely to cause harm.

X

Audit fees and other professional fees

This is the cost of carrying out an external audit of your statement.

X

Buildings insurance

As per the terms of the lease, the landlord is required to insure the building and the resident is required to pay a service charge to the landlord for the services provided.

As covered in the media, landlord buildings insurance costs have increased considerably and we simply recover our landlord expenses, as per the terms of the lease.

Further details, including the insurance schedule and policy cover.

X

Communal gas repairs service - leaseholders only

This charge relates to the repair and maintenance of the communal boiler systems.

X

Communal gas bills - leaseholders only

This includes the cost of gas for communal boilers and heating systems.

X

Fall arrest system: responsive repairs

For ‘mansafe’ systems that prevent falls from areas such as roofs. This is the charge to use these for repsonsive repairs.

X

Fall Arrest System: contract servicing

For ‘mansafe’ systems that prevent falls from areas such as roofs. These systems should be inspected and tested at least every 12 months.

X

Fire safety: external wall systems survey

This will cover the cost of providing statutory inspections

Management company costs (homeowners) 

Costs for services and repairs provided to the block or estate by a third party management company.

X

Provisions - homeowner only

These are regular amounts collected as part of the service charge, put into a provision fund. This covers the future cost of larger items that need to be replaced from time to time, such as door entry systems and lifts. In addition, homeowners’ provisions may be collected to cover external redecorations and repairs to the structure of the building.

X

Responsive maintenance

The cost of the repair and maintenance of your block and estate as well as any communal or shared areas.

X