Service charges and rentcharges: a guide for social housing landlords (6th edition)

17 September 2020

The updated 6th edition of our service charges guide supports the planning and delivery of service charges from strategy and scheme development, to consultation and accounting.

It provides comprehensive guidance for social housing landlords to help administer and manage contracts, covering legal obligations, accounting guidelines and good practice.

This new guide contains:

• Separate leasehold and freehold chapters.
• Updated accounting and housing regulatory framework references.
• Issues arising from circumstances of the last five years, including the Grenfell Fire tragedy and the coronavirus pandemic.
• Key case decisions since the last edition.
• Guidance on Section 106, managing agents and 3rd parties.
• More good practice examples from landlords, plus top tips and checklists.
• Updated references to legislation and case law, with legal know-how examples and outcomes.
• Updated definitions, references and website links.
• Easy to read flowcharts and graphs.

Board members and senior management teams, operational staff and residents all have different needs but should find answers to the questions they have in this guide. It can be used:

• As a quick reference book using toolkits and examples from other landlords.
• To support training with staff, board members and residents.
• To support consultation with residents.
• To minimise your exposure to legal challenge.

About the authors

Pascale Mézac, lead author of the book, is an accountant, providing business planning services for social housing and charities. Her service charges expertise is vast and includes planning new developments, depooling charges from rents, financial modelling, agreements, communications, financial support and value for money.

Emma Hardman is a lawyer and, with the Anthony Collins team, brings up to the minute knowledge with current legal cases, disputes resolutions, agreements, consultation process and statutory requirements.

Please note: We have a separate pricing rate for local authorities and not-for-profit organisations that are not housing associations. Please contact bookshop@housing.org.uk for more information.