How we spend your rent and service charge

The housing costs you pay Look Ahead are typically split between rent and a service charge, and each part pays for different things. Your rent pays for providing and maintaining your home. This includes the cost of the building itself, long-term investment in our properties, managing and maintaining your home, making sure it’s safe, secure and fit to live in.

Your service charge pays for shared services and facilities that help keep the building running day to day. This may include cleaning of communal areas, electricity supplied to and repairs and maintenance to shared spaces including health and safety checks.

Your support services, such as help with daily living skills, wellbeing or tenancy support, are funded separately and are not part of the service charge.

We want to be open and clear about what you pay. The £1 spend illustrations below show how each £1 of rent and each £1 of service charge is typically used, so you can see where the money goes and what it helps provide.

This shows how we spend our money to manage services, maintain homes and invest for the future. Figures are rounded to the nearest penny.

Rent income alone does not cover everything we spend. We also use grants, service charges and borrowing to invest in homes and meet safety standards.

• 30p – Managing your home and services Housing officers, customer services, tenancy support, health and safety and day to day management.
• 28p – Running the organisation safely IT systems, finance, HR, governance, compliance, insurance and legal responsibilities.
• 28p – Investing in homes and buildings Major works, improvements, energy efficiency and long-term investment in buildings.
• 11p – Repairs and maintenance Keeping homes safe, warm and in good condition, including routine and responsive repairs.
• 3p – Loan interest and finance costs Interest on borrowing used to improve existing homes and build new ones.

The breakdown of your actual service charge will vary depending on your building and the services provided where you live. We provide full details in your annual service charge statement.

• 32p – Enhanced Housing Management Overseeing and coordinating building services. This includes organising contractors, monitoring standards, handling queries, and making sure cleaning, repairs, utilities and safety services are delivered properly. It does not pay for the services themselves.
• 23p – Utilities Electricity, gas, water and lighting for shared areas.
• 18p –  Security Keeping buildings safe, such as door entry systems, CCTV, alarms or security services where provided.
• 13p – Cleaning Cleaning communal areas like corridors, stairwells and shared spaces.
• 11p – Repairs Day to day repairs to shared areas and equipment covered by the service charge.
• 3p – Grounds maintenance Looking after gardens, outdoor spaces and pathways.