Leaseholders letter

I am writing to inform you of your updated annual service charge for your home, which will cover the anticipated costs of services we will provide from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. 

We always work to keep our charges as affordable as possible, but the continued rising costs of providing essential services, including energy, utilities, and external supplier fees, have made it necessary to adjust and increase our charges for the coming year in some areas. We’ve worked hard to keep these adjustments as minimal as possible, but we need to ensure we can continue delivering the high standard of service you expect.

We know that any change in service charges can be concerning, and we want to be as transparent as possible. The new service charge reflects a careful assessment of the costs required to maintain and deliver services for your home. This includes everything from contractor fees (for pest control, lift servicing, building insurance) to the costs of repairs, communal electricity, and other essential services. Your service charge is payable quarterly in arrears on or before the following dates:

• June 2025
• September 2025
• December 2025
• March 2025

If it’s more convenient for you, you can switch to monthly payments. Just reach out, and we’d be happy to set up a monthly Direct Debit for you.

In September, we’ll send you a detailed breakdown of how we spent your service charge for 2024/2025. This will include both the budgeted and actual costs. If we’ve underspent in any area, we’ll credit the difference to your account, and you’ll be able to apply for a refund. If costs were higher than anticipated, we’ll let you know and request an additional payment.

I can confirm that as of 12 February 2025 your account is showing a balance of £xx.xx Please make sure you check what symbol your balance has in front of it. If your balance has a ‘-‘ (minus sign) in front, this means your account is in credit.  

If you’ve set up a Direct Debit and your service charge has changed, don’t worry. The adjustment will be made automatically. However, if you’d like to discuss any details or need help with your Direct Debit, please feel free to email our team at incometeam@onemanchester.co.uk.

If you’d like to discuss switching to monthly payments or to find out more about the services we provide, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 0330 355 1000 or email leasehold@onemanchester.co.uk and we’ll be happy to help.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us. We're here to support you and ensure you continue to enjoy living in your home.

Many thanks,

Nicole Kershaw

Chief Executive

This letter and the additional documents are sent to you by One Manchester Limited of Lovell House, 6 Archway, Hulme, Manchester M15 5RN.

Direct Debit

Call our customer services team on 0330 355 1000 who will set up your direct debit.

It’s up to you how often you make payments… you can pay, weekly, fortnightly, 4 weekly or monthly.  

Direct Debit is the easiest, most convenient, and secure way to pay. With the added peace of mind of being backed by the Direct Debit Guarantee.

By automated phone

Call One Manchester’s automated payment service on 0330 041 5530.  

All you need is your 19 digit rent card number and a debit card. The number is charged at the standard local rate – the same as One Manchester’s contact centre number and is available 24 hours a day.  

Allpay App

You can also download the Allpay app and pay your rent using your 19 digit rent card number.

Online

Use your bank debit card to pay online via our website, www.onemanchester.co.uk, using the first line of your address as your Customer Account Number.  The money will go into your rent account within two working days.

The Post Office/Paypoint

 Just hand over your rent card with your payment.  Please get a receipt.

1. This summary, which briefly sets out your rights and obligations in relation to variable service charges, must by law accompany a demand for service charges. Unless a summary is sent to you with a demand, you may withhold the service charge. The summary does not give a full interpretation of the law and if you are in any doubt about your rights and obligations you should seek independent advice.  
2. Your lease sets out your obligations to pay service charges to your landlord in addition to your rent. Service charges are amounts payable for services, repairs, maintenance, improvements, insurance or the landlord’s costs of management, to the extent that the costs have been reasonably incurred. 
3. You have the right to ask the First-tier Tribunal to determine whether you are liable to pay service charges for services, repairs, maintenance, improvements, insurance or management. You may make a request before or after you have paid the service charge. If the tribunal determines that the service charge is payable, the tribunal may also determine –- 

who should pay the service charge and who it should be paid to;  

the amount; 

the date it should be paid by; and how it should be paid. 

However, you do not have these rights where — 

a matter has been agreed or admitted by you; 

a matter has already been, or is to be, referred to arbitration or has been determined by arbitration and you agreed to go to arbitration after the disagreement about the service charge or costs arose; or 

a matter has been decided by a court. 

4. If your lease allows your landlord to recover costs incurred or that may be incurred in legal proceedings as service charges, you may ask the court or tribunal, before which those proceedings were brought, to rule that your landlord may not do so. 
5. Where you seek a determination from the First-tier Tribunal, you will have to pay an application fee and, where the matter proceeds to an oral hearing, a hearing fee, unless you qualify for fee remission or exemption. Making such an application may incur additional costs, such as professional fees, which you may have to pay. 
6. The First-tier Tribunal and the Upper Tribunal (in determining an appeal against a decision of the First-tier Tribunal) have the power to award costs in accordance with section 29 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. 
7. If your landlord — 

proposes works on a building or any other premises that will cost you or any other tenant more than £250, or  

proposes to enter into an agreement for works or services which will last for more than 12 months and will cost you or any other tenant more than £100 in any 12-month accounting period, 

your contribution will be limited to these amounts unless your landlord has properly consulted on the proposed works or agreement or the First-tier Tribunal has agreed that consultation is not required. 

8. You have the right to apply to the First-tier Tribunal to ask it to determine whether your lease should be varied on the grounds that it does not make satisfactory provision in respect of the calculation of a service charge payable under the lease. 
9. You have the right to write to your landlord to request a written summary of the costs which make up the service charges. The summary must— 

cover the last 12-month period used for making up the accounts relating to the service charge ending no later than the date of your request, where the accounts are made up for 12-month periods; or 

cover the 12-month period ending with the date of your request, where the accounts are not made up for 12-month periods. 

The summary must be given to you within 1 month of your request or 6 months of the end of the period to which the summary relates whichever is the later. 

10. You have the right, within 6 months of receiving a written summary of costs, to require the landlord to provide you with reasonable facilities to inspect the accounts, receipts and other documents supporting the summary and for taking copies or extracts from them. 
11. You have the right to ask an accountant or surveyor to carry out an audit of the financial management of the premises containing your dwelling, to establish the obligations of your landlord and the extent to which the service charges you pay are being used efficiently. It will depend on your circumstances whether you can exercise this right alone or only with the support of others living in the premises. You are strongly advised to seek independent advice before exercising this right. 
12. Your lease may give your landlord a right of re-entry or forfeiture where you have failed to pay charges which are properly due under the lease. However, to exercise this right, the landlord must meet all the legal requirements and obtain a court order. A court order will only be granted if you have admitted you are liable to pay the amount, or it is finally determined by a court, tribunal or by arbitration that the amount is due. The court has a wide discretion in granting such an order and it will take into account all the circumstances of the case.