Service Charges

If you live in a property where we provide extra services, your rent will include a charge that covers the cost of providing these services. The charge covers the cost of services such as:

• Communal gardening
• Communal lighting and heating
• Communal cleaning
• Cardiff County Council’s Community Alarm Centre charge
• The provision of equipment such as door entry systems, lifts and laundries
• Warden/Caretaker service
• Rental of staff accommodation

The total service charge is shown on your rent card and in your tenancy agreement. Your tenancy agreement also gives full details of the services provided.

We review service charges every year. We set the charges to cover the costs that will arise in the year ahead. This cost is then divided equally between all the tenants who live on a particular scheme or estate.

We will notify you of any change in your service charge (either up or down) with your rent increase notice. You will also receive a statement of service charge income and expenditure for your scheme or estate in the most recently completed financial year. Occasionally, we may propose changes to the services provided, such as the time spent on cleaning. If so, we will ask you for your comments and consider any points raised. We will not make any changes to our services without giving you four weeks’ written notice.

Need further information? Please ask for our leaflet ‘Your Service Charge: A Guide to Tenants’.

Council Tax and Water Charges

The Council tax charged for your home is set by and payable to Cardiff County Council. The water charges are assessed by and payable to Welsh Water. Every year they will inform you of the annual amount due and ways you can pay. It is your responsibility to arrange payment of these charges directly to the Council and Welsh Water.

If you live in flats 18-35 at Selwyn Morris Court, Driscoll Court, Howard Court or Nelson Court, you will pay your water charges to us and not to Welsh Water. This is because the meter records the cost of the water used by the whole building. We pay the bill to Welsh Water and then divide the cost between the residents after making an allowance to cover the cost of water used by the communal facilities, such as the laundry. If you are a resident of one of these flats, we will tell you your water charges and how you can pay.