Your rent and service charge explained
Service charges are part of your tenancy agreement and outline the annual costs of maintaining your building and communal areas on your estate. The charges cover things like garden maintenance, cleaning communal areas, and health and safety checks.
Service charges are reviewed each year to take account of any change in costs. We will send you an annual breakdown of these costs, along with an explanation of what they cover.
Rent and service charge review April 2012
In April, some residents will have their rent increased following our annual rent review. If your rent is being increased you should have recently received a rent review notice, with details of the rent and service charges you need to pay over the coming year.
Rent increases come into effect as follows:
- East Homes and foyer residents holding an Assured or Assured Shorthold tenancy – Monday 2 April 2012
- Shared Ownership residents – Sunday 1 April 2012
- Rent Now Buy Later residents – Sunday 1 April 2012
- Intermediate Rented residents – Sunday 1 April 2012
- Supported Housing residents – Monday 9 April 2012
Along with the notice we sent out, you will have received an information sheet with frequently asked questions about the rent increase, which includes an explanation of how we calculate rents and service charges. If you have pay rent weekly, you will also have received a sheet showing how our rents compare with other housing associations. You can see the frequently asked questions (FAQs) and the rent comparison sheets below.
- Rent comparison charts 2011
- Rent FAQs Assured Tenancy
- Rent FAQs Assured Tenancy (no service charge)
- Rent FAQs Secure Tenancy
- Rent FAQs Leaseholders
- Rent FAQs Market Rent
Other useful documents:
- Guidance notes for tenants (113KB PDF)
- Form RAC1 (40KB PDF)
- Admin charges rights and obligations (78KB PDF)
- Service charges summary of rights (84KB PDF)
If your housing benefit is paid directly to us, we will inform the benefit office of the increases. If your housing benefit is paid to you, you need to tell your benefit office about your new rent and service charges. If you have not received notification of your new benefit rate by 12 April 2012, please contact the benefit office directly.
If you think you should have received a rent review notice from us but you haven’t, please contact us on 0845 600 0830, Mon-Fri 8.30am-8.30pm and ask for the rents and service charges team. You can also call on Sat 8.30am-12.30pm to speak to a customer service adviser.
If you have concerns about your financial situation and the ability to pay your rent, or would benefit from budgeting and welfare advice, please contact us for a free, independent appointment with a welfare advisor. Call 0845 600 0830 or email maxyourincome@east-thames.co.uk. You can also find more information about how to get help paying your rent here.
