Your rent and other charges
Brighter Places is a not-for-profit organisation set up to provide affordable homes and support local communities. It means we aim to provide good ‘value for money’ for the rent and other charges that our residents pay.
All surpluses are re-invested into Brighter Places so that we can continue to improve the services we provide for our residents, local communities where residents live and so we can invest in their homes. Understanding how rent and other charges are worked out is important.
Service charge frequently asked questions
Here are the answers to many of the questions residents ask about the service charge.
Ways to pay your rent
All about your rent
Social housing providers like us have rent set by the government.
Your rent is set in line with government rent setting policies. In 2020, the government confirmed that social housing rents could rise by a measure of inflation called the consumer price index (CPI) plus an extra 1%. CPI measures how much the price of everyday goods, services and household bills have gone up compared to the previous year. This was the first rise in four years.
Are there any exceptions?
Yes. A small number of properties such as market rented, garages, shared ownership homes and commercial rented properties are not set by government. These rents are set based on the terms set out within their lease or tenancy agreement.
If you would like further detail on how rent is set for these properties, please email info@brighterplaces.co.uk
What does your rent pay for?
As a not-for-profit organisation, all surplus income we receive is re-invested in the services we provide you. This includes improving services such as repairs, customer services, communal areas and investing in energy efficiency measures in your home.
We also invest in the development and delivery of new homes. Our goal is to deliver 1,000 new homes by 2027.
All about your service charge
A service charge is the amount you pay towards the cost of us providing communal or shared services to a building and, if applicable, to your surrounding estate.
As a not-for-profit organisation, the money you pay for a service charge is reinvested in the various services included in your service charge. You can view some of the common services that may be included below:
- cleaning/care-taking, e.g. cleaning and maintenance of internal communal areas, stairs and rubbish chutes
- gardening and grounds maintenance, e.g. cutting grass, planting and weeding flower beds
- entryphone, i.e. the cost of maintaining and repairing entryphone systems to a block
- management fee, which is a flat fee charged on a per unit basis and covers colleague costs and overheads for preparing service charge estimates and accounts
- lighting, i.e. block or estate costs which include replacement of any light bulbs in the communal areas
- buildings insurance: as a freeholder, we are responsible for insuring buildings on behalf of residents against risks such as fire and flood. Residents contribute to this via their rent. (Please note you are responsible for insuring your contents and we strongly advise you to arrange your own contents insurance policy)
- lifts