About service charges
Dealing with high service charges
There is no limit on how much service charges can increase, provided that the charges are reasonable and allowed under the terms of your lease, and the work is done to a reasonable standard.
If you cannot afford to pay
If you agree that the service charge is reasonable but you’re having difficulty paying, you can contact your landlord to ask about options, such as paying by instalments. However there is no obligation for your landlord to offer this.
It’s important to get help if you’re having financial difficulty. If you do not pay service charges you could be in breach of your lease.
Find out more: what happens if you do not pay your service charge
If you think a service charge is unreasonable
You can challenge your service charge if you think the charge is unreasonable or if you think you do not have to pay under your lease.
It’s usually best to pay the demand under protest, rather than refusing to pay which could be a breach of your lease.
Service charges and management problems
There are things you can do if you’re unhappy with how your building is being managed, such as if you think costs are too high, repairs are not done, or work is not done to a reasonable standard.
For example you could work together with other leaseholders to change the management of your building.
- Last updated:
- 19 December 2025
- Next review:
- 19 December 2027
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Topic - Building management