Service charges and payment options

HOW DO I PAY MY SERVICE CHARGES?

Please see options below:

Direct debit and standing order

You can pay by 12 monthly direct debit payments. If you choose to pay by direct debit you should note that payments will be taken from your Bank/ Building Society on or around the 1st, 15th and 25th of each month. Unfortunately, this date cannot be changed. Or

You can pay by 12 monthly standing order payments. If you choose to pay by standing order, you should note that payments will need to be set up to leave your account on the 1st of each month. Also you can set up standing orders weekly, fortnightly or four weekly if necessary.You can contact the Leasehold Income Team for further advice about these methods of payment on 01708 433060 or at leaseholdincome@havering.gov.uk

Debit/Credit Card

You can make payments using your debit /credit card by telephoning our automated 24 hour express payment line on 0300 456 0630 and using Option 2 ‘Housing Rents’. You will need to have your card and service charge account number to hand when using this service and amount you want to pay. Please note that using your credit card will incur a charge and you should check with your credit card company to see what the current charges are. Please make a note of the payment reference number for your future use.

Internet Banking

You can pay your service charges via internet banking using these details:

NatWest Bank

Romford Town Centre Branch South Street, Romford sort code 62 29 17 housing account no 14871890

(You must quote your FULL 14 digit service charge account reference number).

If you are in receipt of benefit, the Department of Works & Pensions may be able to give you some help with paying your service charges. You can contact them on 0800 731 7898. The Department of Works & Pensions will pay any entitlement to you direct and not to Havering Council. Therefore, you must ensure payments of your service charges are maintained.

If you are in receipt of Universal Credit please 0800 328 5644 to check if you are able to

Arrears

As a Shared Owner you are responsible for ensuring that your rent, service charges and ground rent (if applicable) are paid up to date and in accordance with the terms of your lease.

Havering Council considers non-payment of rent, service charges and ground rent (if applicable) a breach of the lease and will take appropriate action to recover any monies due. This can include forfeiture action leading to repossession of your property.

Alternatively, an application to the First Tier Tribunal could be made.

Should any of the above actions be necessary and legal costs are incurred by the Council, they will be passed on to you and added to any outstanding arrears on your service charge account.

If you are in debt or struggling financially, the best advice is to seek help, do not just ignore it. There are many different organisations that offer free, independent, impartial and confidential advice. They can help you deal with your debts, maximise your income, minimise your expenditure and offer reassurance.

If you are financially struggling with your service charges you may be able to claim assistance from Universal Credit, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit depending on your circumstances. Further information can be found via:

• Universal Credit website www.gov.uk/universal-credit

• Pension Credit website www.gov.uk/pension-credit/what-youll-get

• Housing Benefit from Havering www.Havering.gov.uk

We will make every effort to help you, but please don’t ignore your service charge bills – they will not go away!

Insurance Claims Whilst In Arrears

If you need to make a claim on your building insurance policy, you will not be able to do so if your service charge account is in arrears.

Garages

Havering Council have several sites across the borough where garages can be rented weekly. Anyone can apply to rent a Council garage, not just council tenants and shared owners, though you must make sure your account is up-to-date and not in arrears to apply. Garages will only be offered for the purpose of storing a vehicle, you must provide proof of address, a current MOT and insurance certificate. Any garage offered will be in vicinity of your home, either 10 – 15 minutes or 1.5 miles. There may be a waiting list for popular locations.

Garage charges vary across the borough. We will let you know the exact charge should a garage become available to let. Private residents will be charged 20% VAT on their garage account. Direct Debit is the easiest way to pay for your garage charges. If your application is successful, we will ask you to complete a Direct Debit form when you sign up for the garage. You will be requested to pay in advance to ensure your account does not fall into arrears.

For more information, please contact garages@havering.gov.uk

Repairs and maintenance

This section gives you information about different aspects of repair and maintenance of your home. It gives you a guide to your responsibilities, and details the normal responsibilities of London Borough of Havering (LBH) as well as how you can report a repair.

There are special rules if your home is new, the defect period for new shared ownership developments is typically 12/24 months dependent on the scheme. This will start when the development has been completed and handed over to us not when you complete your purchase.

If the property is a house then the lease is fully repairing; this means that any repairs internally or externally to the property are to be carried out but you at your own cost unless it is within the defects period or under a warranty. You would need to contact your Home Ownership Officer to obtain confirmation. LBH will only be responsible for repairs to the estate; for example maintenance of estate roads and under croft car park, including external lighting. Shared Owners that reside in an apartment block are responsible for carrying out internal repairs and maintenance (i.e.. everything within the walls of your home), whilst the landlord (LBH) is responsible for carrying out external and structural work and will recharge you.

The types of repairs that LBH have responsibility for will include:

Roof repairs, maintenance of estate roads and under croft car park, including external lighting, communal window repairs and replacement, door entry systems, fire detection and preventative equipment, lifts, redecoration to common areas – internal and external.

Shared Owners on a development that has communal courtyards, gardens or parking spaces etc., will normally pay a service charge for the maintenance and upkeep of these areas.

LBH has the right to enter your home to make inspections or carry out repairs that we are responsible for. We will give you at least 48 hours’ notice in writing, unless there is an emergency.

In an emergency, LBH has the right under the terms of the lease to force entry into your property, for example, when there is a leak coming from your property at a rapid rate and we are unable to make contact with you. Any costs incurred as a result of this action will be recharged to you as the Shared Owner.

In the case of less severe leaks, if we receive a report that there is a leak coming from your property which is penetrating other properties, we will serve notice on you to remedy the problem within a certain time limit. We will also inform you that if the leak has not been remedied within the time stated, you will be required to arrange access for our contractor to enter the premises to fix the leak, and you will be recharged the cost of the works on your service charges this will include an administration fee and VAT.

Reporting Repairs To Havering Council

If you wish to report a repair that you think Housing Services is responsible for, you should telephone our contact centre on 01708 434000 or visit www.havering.gov.uk/askhousing to complete the online form.

If Housing Services is responsible for the repair it may be necessary for an inspection to be carried out before any works are raised.

In the unlikely event of a ‘landlord’s responsibility’ emergency occurring outside office hours between 5pm and 9am Monday to Friday and over the weekend call 01708 756699 and advise that you are a Shared Owner.

HOUSING SERVICES REPAIRS

Havering Council has a long-term agreement in place for the undertaking of repairs carried out to our blocks and estates.

Please remember, anyone working for Havering Council should carry identification. Always ask to see an identity card before letting anyone into your home.

Home Ownership will endeavour to issue details of repairs carried out to your block or estate on a twice yearly basis.

These lists are not a demand for payment, but merely giving you an opportunity to raise any concerns you might have regarding the quality or cost of the works. We will investigate your queries and provide you with a response before the costs are invoiced, with your actual service charge, which is sent out in August/September.

If you feel works have not been completed to a satisfactory standard, or if you have any issues with the contractor’s conduct, please go online to report this at www.havering.gov.uk/askhousing