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Original poster

Service charge increase

13 replies

Animood · 16/12/2021 21:47

Hi all,

Background I have a flat, service charge is circa £100 per month.

So my neighbour has messaged me saying she has received a letter from our freehold management company saying that the service charge is changing to circa £400 per month.

Now, I don't have a letter saying this. I've asked her to send a photo of her letter but she has disappeared from the face of the earth and not messaging back.

I do have a letter from the management company saying they have just got a new contract for a certain service. One of the charges for the services is the same amount she has told me is the new service charge (circa £400).

I have anxiety about finances (completely unfounded, as I'm fine) but this has super freaked me out.

I've emailed the management company and I'm going to call in the morning to check.

But this sounds wrong to me. Like completely wrong. Do you think she has misread the letter? It can't have gone up 4 times the cost surely?

OP posts:
MatildaIThink · 16/12/2021 21:50

Do you have flammable cladding?

Pinkflipflop85 · 16/12/2021 21:56

This is very common in properties with service charge. Some people see massive increases year on year.

Billandben444 · 16/12/2021 22:02

Surely the £400 is the total cost to be divided between all the flats?

Original poster
Animood · 16/12/2021 22:11

No cladding issue.

OP posts:
Original poster
Animood · 16/12/2021 22:12

@Billandben444

Surely the £400 is the total cost to be divided between all the flats?
Well I don't know what she thinks it's for! It's a bit of a mystery!
OP posts:
Original poster
Animood · 16/12/2021 22:13

@Pinkflipflop85

This is very common in properties with service charge. Some people see massive increases year on year.
I don't think an increase of 400% is what's considered common...
OP posts:
Original poster
Animood · 16/12/2021 22:19

Well I can't read the second one.

The first one that made Earline news was only 300%. So seems l highly unlikely mines gone up 400%

Thanks! Feeling more reassured.

OP posts:
Pinkflipflop85 · 16/12/2021 22:21

The second article had examples where service charges had increased 500%.

Flowers500 · 16/12/2021 22:23

Well the coincidence of the letters with the same amount makes me think she probably has no more information on service charge increases than you do!! It sounds like she made an error and hasn't responded because she's a bit embarassed

GreenLunchBox · 16/12/2021 22:24

I'd be banging down her door, not just waiting for her to deign to message back after panicking me like that

LIZS · 16/12/2021 22:28

Do you have other neighbours? Either of you may be misunderstanding it, or even both.

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