Understanding rents and service charges:
People deserve to understand how their rent and service charges are set, what they pay for and why they sometimes change. They also rightly expect that money to be used responsibly to maintain homes, deliver services and protect them for the future.
- We know that paying rent and service charges is one of the biggest household expenses for many people. We also know that no one welcomes increases, particularly when household budgets are already under pressure. That's why decisions about rents and service charges are never taken lightly.
Our responsibility is to maintain homes, provide reliable services, invest in repairs and improvements, and make sure today’s homes remain good homes for future generations. That means balancing affordability with the investment needed to look after homes, neighbourhoods and services over the long term.
Although they’re often spoken about together, rent and service charges do different jobs.
- Rent helps pay for the management, maintenance and long-term investment needed to provide safe, good-quality homes.
- Service charges cover the cost of specific services provided to your home, building or neighbourhood, where those services apply.
People don’t just deserve to know what they’re paying. They deserve to know what they’re paying for.
That’s why we’re committed to explaining how rents and service charges are set, what they pay for, when changes happen and how the money is used. We want customers to have clear information so they can see how decisions are made and the responsibilities we’re balancing
We also recognise that affordability looks different for every household. If you’re worried about paying your rent or service charges, we encourage you to contact us as early as possible so we can talk through the support and advice available.
Understanding rents and service charges should be straightforward, not confusing. That’s why we aim to make information easy to find, easy to understand and easy to question. We publish information about how charges are calculated, what they cover, how changes are made and the support available if customers are struggling to pay.
If you’d like to explore these topics in more detail, you can:
Our commitment is to explain rents and service charges clearly, be open about how they are set and used, and make responsible decisions that balance affordability today with protecting homes and services for the future.
