Lewes District Council

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Housing Services
Lewes District Council
20 Fort Road
Newhaven
East Sussex
BN9 9QF

Tel: 01273 484261
housing@lewes.gov.uk
Fax: 01273 484260
Minicom 01273 484488

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Leaseholder Services Charges

Leaseholders are charged for communal services provided, which are invoiced twice a year.

Service charges pay towards the day-to-day running costs of buildings and flats. Your lease sets out your share and the services it relates to. It may cover caretaking, heating, lighting of shared areas, communal TV aerials and door entry systems.

The maintenance of shared gardens, boundary walls and fences is also included. As is lift maintenance, minor repairs, buildings insurance and other communal facilities.

Payments

Service Charges are payable in advance in half yearly instalments each April and October. This estimates the annual cost of the current year’s services. A contribution is also made towards a major repairs reserve.
 
An annual charge for your buildings insurance is payable in April and invoiced separately. This also applies for ground rent.

A full statement is sent to you and shows an itemised account of the total money spent on managing and maintaining your building.

We record what you have paid and if you have a credit or debit balance. A debit balance will be payable immediately and a credit balance can be carried forward and deducted from the next bill.

The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 states that service charge costs must be reasonably incurred and the services or works must be to a reasonable standard. This legislation is in place to ensure we provide value for money.

We use a standard formula to calculate costs. This is reviewed annually.

We ask for payment within 18 months of works taking place. If you were notified in writing during this you will be required to pay.

It is your responsibility to pay service charges. We do not waive charges that are lawfully due. Refusal to pay may result in recovery action being taken.  If you disagree with any charges made, please contact us to discuss the problem.

Loans

We make loans available for major repair costing over £1,500. We charge interest on this loan as well as administrative and legal costs. A bank or building society may offer a better term than us. Please check with them before applying.

A loan to pay for the day-to-day maintenance and repairs element of the service charge is not available. This is also the case for mortgage payments. Falling behind with payments could risk losing your home and becoming homeless. Please seek help immediately.