Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that residents of housing association schemes are consulted on changes to their service charge.

The law is already clear that service charges, and any increase in costs, must be reasonable and where costs relate to work or services, the work or services must be of a reasonable standard. The consultation process set out in Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 further sets out a process associated with major works. A determination of the Tribunal is required if the consultation requirement is to be dispensed with. In addition residents may make an application to the First-tier Tribunal for it to make a determination on the reasonableness of their service charges or on section 20 grounds.

The Government's policy statement on rents for social housing tenants (published in February 2019) states that where new or extended services are introduced, and an additional service charge may need to be made, registered providers of social housing should consult with tenants.