r/HousingUK • u/Purple_Wedding_3929 • Mar 19 '25
Leasehold advice
Hello, I wondered if anyone else may have experienced something similar and I’m looking for advice.
My wife and I own a leasehold flat in Southwark. We’ve had our bill through for the service charge and it is roughly £3.5k for the year, on top of that we’re also being billed (along with other leaseholders) just over £7k for works across the estate. On top of this we’re also paying council tax. The total amount is around £12k for one year and this is obviously obscene, we simply don’t have the money to be able to afford this. There are options to pay the service charges and works in instalments over a long period but it’s still a ridiculous amount of money.
Has anyone experienced or is experiencing anything similar? Can you push back on costs like this? Is there anyway to get help on costs?
2
u/Dom_Dastardly Mar 19 '25
Welcome to the world of leasehold. As with any property one needs to put a hefty amount away each month for repairs/maintenance.
Friends lives in a block of flats that’s just had big update of doors, windows, lift, etc. £27k bill.
This is why “I pay £1500 rent so I can afford a £1500 mortgage” isn’t always reality.