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Service charges are worked out to ensure that every leaseholder bears a fair and reasonable proportion of the cost of providing any of the services referred to in this information leaflet.
You are responsible for the repair and maintenance of items within your flat. You may also be responsible for payment of a charge in respect of improvements carried out by the Council.
The Council is responsible for the external repair and maintenance, the cost of which is then recovered through the annual service charges.
This page gives some general guidance, but you are also recommended to speak to your own legal adviser for advice on your, and the Council’s obligations. This page will be updated from time to time and if you have any comments please contact the relevant officer with your observations.
Quick Links;
- Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 ,
- Property Insurance ,
- Horticultural Services ,
- Internal Decorations to Communal Areas ,
- Lighting to Communal Areas ,
- Pre-paint Repairs ,
- External Redecoration ,
- Internal Repairs ,
- External Repairs ,
- Communal Window Cleaning ,
- Footpath Improvements ,
- Other Improvements ,
- Alterations and Improvements to your Flat ,
- Administration Costs ,
- Payment of Service Charges
This legislation requires the Council to issue notice of works estimated to cost over £250.00 for each leaseholder.
A formal ‘Notice of intention to carry out works’ will be sent out to each leaseholder prior to the Council entering into an agreement to carry out works, or where there is an existing long term agreement, before the works are carried out.
This Notice will explain what works are intended, why they are being carried out, an estimated cost and any payment you will be required to make.
This includes the cost of the structural building insurance cover including communal areas but not your household contents. You should therefore arrange your own insurance cover for household contents and leaseholders liabilities.
The structural building insurance also covers items such as fire and water damage and if you need to claim, you should contact the Council’s Insurance Officer by telephoning 01473 825874.
The Council is limited as to how much help can be given to a leaseholder without householders contents insurance, and you should therefore ensure you have adequate contents insurance cover, and take adequate measures to limit any losses.
The Council seeks new tenders for insurance every few years and the charge is shown on your annual service charge statement.
This charge covers any grass cutting to front or rear gardens, which are not within a private garden area for any leaseholder.
The charge also covers any maintenance to planted areas, not within private gardens, around your block of flats.
The charge you pay is usually calculated by dividing the actual cost by the number of flats served by the communal gardens and planted areas
The Council has a long term maintenance contract with English Landscapes Ltd, which runs for seven years from November 2007.
Any internal decoration to communal areas such as stairs, landings and storage areas is carried out every five or six years, usually with the external painting programme.
Tenders are invited each year from selected contractors from the Council’s approved tender list.
The charge you pay is usually calculated by dividing the actual costs by the number of flats in a block.
The Council receives quarterly accounts from the power supplier and the charge you pay is calculated by dividing the total cost for each block by the number of flats in that block.
Some flats do not have any communal lighting and therefore no charge is made.
Some blocks have decorative lighting schemes in the shrubbery and these can cost a little more in electricity and maintenance costs.
The Council is currently working on plans to re-lamp all fittings with low energy lamps.
The external doors, windows and timberwork are usually inspected and any repairs carried out in the year before painting is completed.
Contractors tender on a fixed Schedule of Rates to carry out the work, and the charge you pay is usually calculated by dividing the total costs paid by the number of flats in each block.
Recent legislation has meant that in many cases, scaffolding is needed to ensure the work is carried out safely and without danger to the workmen or residents, and this cost has to be passed on to leaseholders in the above charges.
The Council policy has been to try where possible to reduce these long-term costs by the provision of upvc fascias and soffits, and any other low maintenance products
The Council normally carry out external redecoration to all the flats every five/six years and this includes fascias, soffits, gutter clearing, redecoration of all previously painted or decorated surfaces.
The new contracts also include for cleaning the upvc windows and doors.
Tenders are invited each year from selected contractors from the Council’s approved tender list.
The tender usually allows for individual costs to be worked out for each flat but additional costs have to be calculated for general areas such as stores, fascias and wall claddings.
The charge you pay is usually calculated by dividing the actual costs by the number of flats in each block.
You are normally responsible for all repairs and maintenance to the inside of your flat, including the servicing of any gas or electric heating appliances.
You are also responsible for the internal redecoration to your flat.
Some services to your flat may be shared between your flat and other flats in the block and any repairs or replacement costs will be shared between the number of flats involved.
The Council is responsible for all external repairs to the block of flats.
The Council has a 3 year responsive repair contract with Morrison Facilities Services, which started on the 6th July 2009. This contract deals with all minor works items.
The contract is based on a Schedule of Rates for standard works items with fixed rates for labour and materials.
For larger projects individual tenders are sought using contractors from our select list.
All costs are entered onto a computer system for each block of flats and the charge you pay is calculated by dividing the actual costs by the number of flats in each block.
The contract includes for all emergency repairs to be completed within agreed time-scales, usually 1, 3 or 7 days.
Non-urgent repairs have 28 or 56 days target dates; although currently work is completed within on an average of 21 days.
If you have any difficulty over repair issues, please contact Council Housing Services Team by telephoning 01473 825757 during normal working hours or 0808 1684555 after 5pm and weekends (Emergencies only).
Please note that calls after 5pm will be monitored and recorded.
The external window surfaces are cleaned on a six weekly interval and this includes windows and doors to the communal areas only.
The inner surfaces are cleaned every third month, again to all windows and doors.
The cleaning does not cover your individual flat but the window cleaner can be contacted direct if that service is required. Monthind Ltd is the cleaning contractor and can be contacted at their office via Cery on 0845 618 0403
The contract has been let following receipt of tenders from a select list of contractors.
The charge you pay is usually calculated by dividing the actual costs by the number of flats in each block.
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On some blocks of flats the surrounding footpaths and paved areas will be repaired and upgraded as necessary to ensure that such areas remain safe for residents.
Minor repairs will be carried out as necessary and the costs identified under the general maintenance costs.
More extensive works will be subject to consultation and tenders will be invited from our approved list of contractors.
The Council will consult with you and your neighbours when any plans for major improvements or refurbishments are to be carried out.
These improvements could include car-parking works, drying areas or estate improvements, or replacement windows and doors.
Leaseholds are encouraged to make suggestions for any improvements to their blocks of flats to the Council’s Contract & Asset Management Division or Community Development Division.
The charge you pay is usually calculated by dividing the actual costs by the number of flats in each block.
You are allowed to carry out alterations and improvements to your flat but these generally must be agreed by Babergh District Council in advance, in writing.
An application form for internal alteration and satellite receivers can be obtained from the Council Housing Customer Services Team by telephoning 01473 825757 or via our Home Improvements Page.
Copies of the application forms are sent to the Planning and Building Control Divisions and you may require formal Building Regulations or Planning Approval for some alterations and improvements, for which a charge will be made.
The whole process for normal applications can take up to three weeks and any documents should be retained for future reference or when you transfer your lease.
All the works have to be administered by our staff and this is reflected in the administration costs, which is included in the administration fee of 10 per cent (10%) and is detailed in most leases.
This cost includes staff time dealing with routine maintenance and repairs, including supervision of contractors, resolving minor problems and dealing with leaseholder accounts.
An additional costs will be charged for any professional fees for preparing major improvement or refurbishment schemes including tender documents, plans and supervision of the works, agreement to final accounts plus any problem solving during the works.
You will be notified in advance of the works and any professional fees, and the charge you pay is usually calculated by dividing the actual costs by the number of flats in each block.
You will be sent an invoice and statement which details the estimated amount you have to pay for the current financial year and including all the services above that are relevant for the year.
This invoice details the actual costs incurred at the end of the previous financial year, the payments you have made against these costs for that year, and the estimated costs for the current financial year.
An example would be, An invoice issued after 1st April 2009 would reflect the actual costs for the year 1st April 2008 up to 31st March 2009, together with the estimated costs for the current year from 1st April 2009 to 31st March 2010.
Any previous overpayments and credits or debits will be shown on the statement and will reflect any necessary adjustment of the service charge payable for the previous year after the actual costs for that year have been calculated.
You can pay your service charges by direct debit or cheque. You can also pay by telephone at any time of day, provided you have a debit or credit card, simply call 01473 829024, please have your invoice and card details to hand when you call, alternatively you can pay online at www.babergh.gov.uk.
If you have any difficulty in paying, please contact Payments Division by telephoning 01473 825830
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