Rent, service charges and how to pay - Plymouth Community Homes

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Service charges – flow chart for working out your service charge and any adjustments 1 Oct to Nov We ʻlook backʼ at the costs for the 12 months until September and compare what was charged to what it actually cost to deliver the services. Then we know if thereʼs any adjustment needed. 2 Dec to Jan We now work out next yearʼs estimate for the cost of the services. 3 Feb to Mar this year We add the difference from 1 to the estimate at 2 to give a total charge. You should receive this by the 1st of April each year. 14
How do I know what my Housing Benefit allowance will cover? Communal services are covered by Housing Benefit so these are any services that are available within the block once you step out of your front door. Individual services not covered by Housing Benefit are water and heating that you have within your home – once you shut your front door. My tenancy started in August 2011. Why am I paying a higher service charge than my neighbours who have been tenants for a number of years? We reviewed all our service charges last year. New tenants since then are charged for their share of the cost of the services provided to their block and would have signed their tenancy agreement accepting the service charge. Long-standing tenants, in some cases, would have been faced with significant increases following our review. It was agreed by the Plymouth Community Homes Board to phase in the increases for these tenants over a number of years. Eventually all tenants will pay the same and any new tenants in your block will automatically pay the same as you. Communal charges can include: • Caretaking • Cleaning of communal areas • Laundries • Door entry • Lift maintenance • Fire alarms • Grounds and gardens • Maintenance in communal areas • Heating and lighting in communal areas • Communal TV aerials • Plant and specialist equipment • Others may apply We aim to provide services in the most reasonable and cost-effective way and to a standard acceptable to you, our residents. We are moving towards a fairer charge, which would reflect the real costs of providing the services. 15
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Page 3 and 4: How to pay How is my rent charged?
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Page 7 and 8: The target rent calculation is as f
Page 9 and 10: When are the rent free weeks? We as
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Page 13: What are variable service charges a
Page 17 and 18: I am in a block but I know someone
Page 19 and 20: A guide to your Service Charge stat
Page 21 and 22: If the difference is a positive fig
Page 23 and 24: Contacting Us Plymouth Community Ho

Rent, service charges and how to pay - Plymouth Community Homes

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