Your rent and service charges

Service charges are calculated annually and shared equally between customers living in the same building who benefit from the services, so you only pay for the services you get.  

Your lease will outline the responsibilities placed on Onward (previously Contour Property Services) as the landlord and/or managing agent. The service charges you pay can include: 

• Buildings insurance 
• Repairs to communal and external areas  
• Grounds maintenance, cleaning and window cleaning services 
• Communal electricity 
• Waste management and rubbish removal 
• Lifeline monitoring 
• Management fees 

If you pay a fixed service charge, this will be reviewed annually, and we will contact you to advise of any changes. 

If your lease specifies that a variable service charge is in place, we will provide an annual estimate of the fee you will pay at the beginning of each financial year which runs from April to March. This estimate will cover which services you will receive and the costs to provide them.  

Later in the year, we will provide a set of accounts detailing the exact cost against your estimated fees. If you have overpaid, we will either refund you or put your account in credit for the following year. If you have underpaid, we will bill you for the remaining amount.  

If you are a shared owner, you will pay your mortgage lender for the share of the home you own, and the rest in rent to us. For example, if you own 20% of your home, you will pay 80% in rent.  

If you choose to buy more shares of your shared ownership home, the amount of rent you pay to us will be reduced accordingly. 

Shared ownership rent is reviewed annually in line with your lease, and we will inform you of any increases.  

Depending on your property, you may need to pay ground rent as part of your leasehold agreement. We will provide a bill for the ground rent you need to pay. 

In addition to the fees that you pay via a service charge, we also charge fees for additional activities, such as providing a copy of your lease agreement, reviewing permission requests and more.  

For more information on the fees we charge, please explore our guide to fees and charges.