Service charges are an amount that tenants pay to cover the cost of providing and maintaining communal or shared services to a building and, if applicable, the surrounding estate.
The total amount of rent that you pay may include some of these service charges, in addition to the basic rent you pay for living in your home
We will write to you at least four weeks before the beginning of each financial year (the first Monday in April) to tell you about your rent and service charges for that year.
Manage your tenancy online
You can manage your rent account and other tenancy matters through our new and improved portal, Housing Online. You will need your rent reference for full access to Housing Online.
Register or log in to Housing Online
Text messages about your tenancy
If you've received a text message about your tenancy that looks like it may have come from Norwich City Council, please visit: www.norwich.gov.uk/tenancytexts
Services that you may be charged for
Anglian Water charge
Water charges collected through an agency agreement on behalf of Anglian Water. Tenants may request for Anglian Water to install a meter and to be charged individually.
Basic rent
The weekly charge for tenants depending upon the property’s value, local income levels and size of property.
Digital aerial charge
Provision for communal TV aerial supply and associated contract.
District heating charge
For the last five years Norwich City Council has provided a very cost-effective service to our tenants. However, due to recent substantial increases in the cost of gas and electricity we now need to pass some of these costs on to our tenants.
The cost of the district heating fuel supply will be dependent upon the number of bedrooms in the property.
District heating standing charge
Part of the communal supply metered for utilities.
Insurance
Optional tenants' contents insurance with varying levels of cover (no excess to pay).
Laundry facilities
Provision of communal laundry equipment.
Mobile premises manager
Communal caretaking services which includes new sites from April 2024. For more information, visit the Caretaking Service Trial on Get Talking Norwich.
Open spaces
Grounds maintenance on new developments.
Passivhaus/Eco Plus charge
Highly energy efficient construction reducing individual bills based on 5% above rent.
Residential premises manager
These are communal caretaking services.
Sheltered alarm
Sheltered sites only – 24/7 support via alarm call equipment installed in your property. This equipment provides support for emergencies or an unplanned event through a dedicated call centre.
Sheltered service charge
Management of sheltered housing communal areas, facilities and services which need to be inspected, tested, and checked to ensure health and safety is maintained.
Elements that may be included in this charge are:
- Handyperson
- Snow clearing/gritting
- Cleaning
- Communal gas
- Communal water
- Communal electricity
Water charges
Bulk water supply used for communal purposes or district supply.
Window cleaning
Window cleaning services scheduled twice a year for communal windows only.
Universal Credit
You will need to report your updated rent and service charges through your online journal:
Sign in to your Universal Credit account on GOV.UK
You need to update your weekly rent, total eligible charges and total other charges (these are your ineligible charges). This information will be detailed on your rent notification letter.
If you do not have access to an online journal, please inform your work coach at your local job centre.
Important note: Only update the journal after 1 April with the new rent and service charge details, if you update it before this date, it could lead to problems receiving the correct entitlement.
Direct Debits
You will receive a separate letter detailing all payments for the next financial year. If you have a separate Direct Debit for outstanding arrears, this arrangement will continue until the final payment has been collected.
If there is a balance outstanding on 31 March 2024 which you have not cleared and is not in an arrangement, over the next few weeks your instalments will be recalculated to recover any outstanding monies. We will advise you of any change by letter.
Set up a Direct Debit
Money and budgeting advice
We are committed to helping tenants and their families stay in their homes and have a specialist team of money and budgeting advisers who can help you to sort out your finances.
If you would like to find out more about the advice available, or be referred to a money or budgeting adviser, complete the form below.
Budgeting and money advice referral form
Reduce the amount you pay for water
Most households could halve their water charges with a water meter. Try Anglian Water's water use calculator and see how much you could save!
Switching to a meter is easy, it’s free and you can switch back to non-metered charges anytime for up to two years.
You can apply to switch to a water meter by visiting the Anglian Water website or calling 03457 919 155.
Anglian Water will tell us that it is billing you direct, and we will stop collecting water rates with your rent.
Online rent statements
Paper rent statements are no longer available. You can view a statement of your rent account using the Housing Online portal.
Register or log in to My Account.
