Southwark’s Labour-run Council has
agreed to adopt all the proposals of an independent Housing Scrutiny Committee
report into leaseholder charging.
Among the key recommendations are to
provide leaseholders with an individual online account so that they know exactly how much money
they will have to spend at the end of the year. They also include a new
two-tier system of charges to cater for requests to make minor changes to
properties; at present leaseholders are charged a flat rate of £203 simply for
enquiring about making a change to their property.
The Cabinet action plan agrees to allow leaseholders to know who signed off works which leaseholders are expected to pay for, increasing transparency and accountability.
The Council has also agreed to
investigate offering leaseholders the option of a fixed service charge which
incorporates both the annual services charge and major works service charges.
This will help leaseholders plan for the future and avoid a situation where a
leaseholder’s final annual service charge is significantly higher than they
were expecting.
Labour believes that efficiently administered
leaseholder charges will benefit tenants and leaseholders alike – ensuring that money
is not wasted on tribunal and court disputes.
As Chair of Southwark’s Housing Scrutiny Committee I'm delighted that the Council cabinet has agreed to accept all the recommendations
of our report. It demonstrates Labour's commitment to ensuring a fair
deal for Southwark’s leaseholders.”
Councillor
Ian Wingfield, Southwark Labour’s Cabinet
Member for Housing recently said:
“Under the previous Lib Dem
administration, leaseholders were made to pay unfair charges for refurbishment
and fire safety works. That is why Labour pledged in 2010 to write a new
leaseholder compact on fair charging. This is a significant first step in delivering
on that promise.”
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