Use this guide if you own a flat or leasehold house in England or Wales and a service charge bill looks too high, unexpected or poorly explained. You need your lease, recent service charge demands and any budget or accounts the landlord or managing agent has sent.
Step by step
Read what your lease actually says
Find the clauses on service charges, usually in a schedule near the end. Note what the landlord can charge for, how your share is calculated (a fixed percentage or a fair proportion), when payments are due and whether a reserve or sinking fund is allowed. A charge for something the lease does not cover may not be payable, however reasonable it looks.
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