Affinity Lettings & Property Management in Bletchley, Milton Keynes and Surrounding Areas

Service charges are calculated each year using the guidance of the spend for the proceeding year as well as our knowledge on what items are requiring attention for the year ahead such as any health & safety testing due, anything required to meet any new compliance obligations or any decoration or restorative items as detailed in the lease.

The amount apportioned to each unit is generally dictated by the lease on a percentage split. Whereby a lease is not specific in this regard, we as the agent will assessed the split percentage fairly looking at unit size and any other residing factors.

A new estimated service charge budget and invoice for the year will be issued to you once per year and the payments due by instalments are then either collected quarterly in advance or monthly in advance. Your invoice will be clear on this along with the bank accounts details of where you can send payment.

Often it is, however sometimes building insurance may be billed separately on some developments. Your service charge budget will be clear on whether it is included or not. Please do be aware that you are still required to organise your own contents insurance for inside of your own dwelling.

Ground rent is invoiced separately to service charge. An invoice will be sent to you for your ground rent along with a notice. Ground rents are collected either as one payment once per year or spit in half for two payments 6 months apart. The invoice you receive will be clear on the period for which is being demanded. Ground rents on the developments that we currently manage range from £10.00 per year - £200.00 per year

It is very important that you make your payments in full and on time as without these funds the services to the block are unable to continue. This will have a detrimental affect on the development, cause lapses in health & safety requirements and lower the value of your property. It is a breach of your lease to not make payment on time and as such your home is at risk.

If you fail to make a payment on time or fall behind, we will contact you on the matter up to three times to find a resolve. If you continue to not make payment thereafter, we will contact your mortgage lender (where one is on place) and ask them to pay us the amount owing directly.

Your mortgage lender will then advise you of what action they will take against you for breach of your lending with them. This may include fines, higher mortgage payments or ultimately repossession of the property.

Where a lender is not in place, we will instruct solicitors to commence legal proceedings for breach of lease and forfeiture. At this stage, your home is at risk.

Each block/estate that we manage has its own recognised/ring fenced client account and is protected under legislation by the requirement for us to hold client money protection.

Affinity are members of the Client Money Protection Scheme and our membership can be viewed by clicking here

Your money is in safe hands with Affinity.