UK leaseholder rights
Service charges: understand your bill and your options
Understand what you're being charged for, check the information you have, and choose your next step. Guidance for leaseholders in England and Wales.
What do you need to do?
Pick the starting point that matches the document in front of you. These are alternatives, not steps you have to complete in order.
Understand my service charge
For when you have a bill or budget and want to see what it covers before you write to anyone.
Check your billQuestion a charge I’ve received
For when a demand has already arrived and you want to raise a specific item. This is not a consultation response.
Prepare to question a chargeRespond to proposed major works
For when you have a Section 20 consultation notice about planned works or a long-term agreement, not a finished bill.
Go to the Section 20 guide
Understand my service charge
Your lease sets out how the service charge is organised and what can be charged. It often covers services, repairs, maintenance, building insurance and cleaning of shared areas. Frequency and timing come from the lease and the demand, not from a single statutory annual cycle.
What to check on a bill
- The wording in your lease that allows the charge
- The billing period it relates to
- Any budget, year-end accounts or cost breakdown
- Items you do not recognise or cannot match to a service
You can ask for a summary showing how the charge is worked out and what it is spent on, and you can ask to see supporting paperwork such as receipts.
Official starting points: GOV.UK on service charges, buying or owning a leasehold home, and the Leasehold Advisory Service topic on service charges.
Question a charge I've received
Use this route when a demand has already arrived and you want to raise a specific item. If you still have a Section 20 consultation notice about works that have not yet been billed, use the major-works guide instead. Those letters are not interchangeable.
Gather before you write
- The demand or bill
- Any breakdown, budget or accounts you have
- The relevant wording in your lease
- Earlier correspondence about the charge
- The specific item or question you want answered
Respond to proposed major works
Landlords must consult leaseholders about certain planned works and longer-term agreements before those costs are billed. That consultation is separate from a service charge demand. Keep the notice and the date it was given, and use the Stage 1 or Stage 2 response that matches the notice you have.
Go to the Section 20 guideIf you want to change who manages the building, read what the Right to Manage is. That is a separate route from understanding or questioning a bill.
Tools and guides
Browse all tools if you already know the document you need.
Template
Service charge challenge letter
A general letter for questioning a service charge, distinct from a Section 20 consultation response.
Create challenge letterHub
Section 20 hub
Task hub for proposed major works, with both response routes visible.
Open Section 20 hub
Frequently asked questions
Open a question to read the short answer. Not advice for your lease or building.
What is a service charge?
It is the amount your lease says you pay toward the cost of services for the building and shared areas — often things like maintenance, cleaning, building insurance and management. Your lease sets out what can be charged and when it is payable. It is not always billed once a year.
What should I check on a bill?
Check the relevant wording in your lease, the period the bill covers, any budget, accounts or breakdown, and any line you do not recognise. You can ask for a summary of how the charge is worked out and for the paperwork behind it.
What is the difference between questioning a bill and responding to major works?
Question a charge if a demand has already arrived. Use the Section 20 route if you have been consulted about planned works or a long-term agreement before those costs are billed. The two letters are not interchangeable.
Where can I take a dispute?
If you think a variable service charge is unreasonable, is for a poor standard of work, or is not payable under your lease, you may be able to apply to a tribunal. In England that is the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). In Wales, check the current Leasehold Advisory Service guidance for the right venue. Get advice before you apply.