Get help paying service charges

If you're having difficulty paying your service charges, contact us for advice.

You may be able to apply for a loan from us.

If you get benefits you may be entitled to extra help.

Loans from the Royal Borough of Greenwich

If the charges, including annual service charges, exceed £2,000 in the financial year, and the lease was granted less than 10 years ago, then you will qualify for the right to a loan from us up to 31 March in the tenth year.

The maximum amount you can borrow is £20,000. If you already have loans to cover service charges for previous years, it counts - the total amount of all loans must not be higher than £20,000.

This is a right and is, therefore, not dependant on your circumstances. However, the interest rate is not very competitive. There is also an administration fee of £100. The loan will be secured by a mortgage on the property.

You should claim a loan from us in writing within 6 weeks of the date of the payment demand. Contact the Property Accounts Team for further information.

Telephone: 020 8921 8085

We will then supply information on the terms of the loan and the period within which the offer must be accepted. Acceptance of the loan must be received in writing 4 weeks after this.

The interest on the loan is based on the our mortgage lending rate. This figure may change throughout the period of the loan.

The interest is added to the amount borrowed and the total is broken down into equal instalments payable as follows:

  • over 3 years if the loan is less than  £1,500
  • over 5 years if the loan is £1,500 to £5,000
  • over 10 years if the loan is more than £5,000

Make sure you do your research - a loan from us may not be the cheapest option. It may be better to look into loans available to you from other sources.

Mortgage top-up

This is a loan or top-up from your mortgage lender. It's usually the easiest and cheapest option, where possible. Contact your mortgage lender for more details.

Bank loan

A loan from a high street bank, building society or other reputable establishment.