Expand all

• How we calculate the landscaping service charge

  The landscaping service charge is calculated for the whole financial year. It is based on the total cost of providing the service for the previous year, divided equally among households that benefit. This means that all leaseholders pay the same flat-rate charge.

  The charge covers everything needed to maintain communal areas throughout the year. Some tasks, such as grass cutting and hedge maintenance, are seasonal. Others, such as tree maintenance or moss removal, are one-off tasks. More work is typically done in the summer, but not all tasks covered are needed every year. If extra work is required in a particular year, the charge does not increase for leaseholders in that block.

  The service level agreement ensures that communal areas are maintained to a set standard. There is no fixed number of times that grass should be cut, as this depends on the weather.

• Frequency of service charge invoices

  Service charge invoices are sent twice a year:

  • June invoice - Covers April to September
  • December invoice - Covers October to March

  Each invoice includes 50 per cent of the total annual charge.

  The lease requires us to bill service charges three months in arrears and three months in advance, which is why the charges are split this way.