Help and support with payments
It's really important to talk to us if you have concerns about your ability to pay your charges. Your Bromford income management advisor is there to support you and work with you to find an affordable solution. They can also assist you to claim benefits and to help you to maximise your income. You will find their contact details on the top of your letter.
You can find additional information about what to do if you find yourself struggling with money here. Money matters: The cost of living | Bromford
Other charges you may have to pay
Service charges
A service charge is the amount payable for the delivery of communal services such as grounds maintenance or other communal shared services applicable to freeholders, like the maintenance and emptying of Bromford-owned sewage tanks/systems etc.
If you don’t receive any services or benefit from Bromford-owned communal spaces, then you won’t have to pay any service charges.
Why you may pay service charges
We have a legal obligation to provide certain services where you live and to maintain any communal areas or facilities, and you may be required to contribute towards the cost of providing these services and/or facilities as set out within the sales documents you received when you purchased your home - A Section 125 notice.
What’s included in your service charge
The list of services covered under your service charge are set out in the service charge statement we send to you along with your annual review letter. They will also be set out within your sales documents/Section 125 notice.
The services listed will be relevant to you and your home.
How we calculate your service charge
Freeholders pay their charges in arrears. This means the service charges you will see in your letter will be for the actual costs incurred by us to deliver the services you have received.
You will only ever pay the actual costs we incur in providing the service; no profit can be made through service charges.
If you’re unhappy with the services you pay for
If you are unhappy with the delivery of the service you are paying for, please contact your neighbourhood coach in the first instance.
If you think your rent or service charge has been calculated incorrectly
Please contact your income management advisor with the details of your query. They will liaise with our rents and service charge team to review your charges and address any issues where applicable.
If you’re still unhappy after contacting us
Freeholders can contact agencies such as Citizens Advice Bureau for independent advice or an independent solicitor.
You can also contact our customer solutions team to make a complaint here Complaints | Bromford
When the new charges start
Any new charges will apply from 1 April or 1 October each year, and would have been set out within your sales documents when you purchased your home.
Changing your direct debit
If you pay your charges by direct debit, we’ll amend your payments to accommodate the new amount and you will receive a letter in March or September to confirm the new payments.
Ways to pay
Direct debit is the easiest way to pay, please contact your income management advisor if you wish to set up a direct debit.
Other payment methods
Payments can also be made using a debit or credit card via your online customer portal account, or by telephone using the automated payment line on 0330 1234 034. You will need your account reference number to hand.