LON/00AZ/LSC/2024/0007 — service charge decision
In LON/00AZ/LSC/2024/0007, decided 24 July 2024, the First-tier Tribunal considered 36 disputed service charge items at 56, 58 & 60 Springfield Rise, London, SE26 6HT and reached a mixed result: 3 items were reduced or disallowed. Full decision on GOV.UK below.
Property: 56, 58 & 60 Springfield Rise, London, SE26 6HT
Decision date: 24 July 2024
Full decision: Read on GOV.UK
What was challenged and what the tribunal decided
| Item | Demanded | Allowed | Outcome | Grounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management fees (2020/2021) | £225 | £150 | Reduced | Standard not reasonable (s19(1)(b)) |
| Lifts (2020/2021) | £531.05 | £531.05 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2020/2021) | £10 | £10 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2020/2021) | £170.68 | £170.68 | Allowed in full | — |
| Staffing & concierge (2020/2021) | £417.10 | £250.26 | Reduced | Poor standard of work |
| Repairs & maintenance (2020/2021) | £52.75 | £52.75 | Allowed in full | — |
| Utilities (2020/2021) | £14.75 | £14.75 | Allowed in full | — |
| Management fees (2021/2022) | £225 | £225 | Allowed in full | — |
| Lifts (2021/2022) | £576.65 | £576.65 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2021/2022) | £105.60 | £105.60 | Allowed in full | — |
| Repairs & maintenance (2021/2022) | £47.79 | £47.79 | Allowed in full | — |
| Utilities (2021/2022) | £109.01 | £109.01 | Allowed in full | — |
| Management fees (2022/2023) | £236.50 | £236.50 | Allowed in full | — |
| Lifts (2022/2023) | £335.21 | £335.21 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2022/2023) | £147.28 | £147.28 | Allowed in full | — |
| Gardening & grounds (2022/2023) | £303.48 | £303.48 | Allowed in full | — |
| Repairs & maintenance (2022/2023) | £48.48 | £48.48 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2022/2023) | £13.75 | £13.75 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2022/2023) | £13.04 | £13.04 | Allowed in full | — |
| Management fees (2023/2024) | £253 | £253 | Allowed in full | — |
| Lifts (2023/2024) | £352 | £352 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2023/2024) | £167.67 | £167.67 | Allowed in full | — |
| Staffing & concierge (2023/2024) | £494.80 | £298.88 | Reduced | Poor standard of work |
| Gardening & grounds (2023/2024) | £378.67 | £378.67 | Allowed in full | — |
| Repairs & maintenance (2023/2024) | £67 | £67 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2023/2024) | £36.67 | £36.67 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2023/2024) | £15.67 | £15.67 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2023/2024) | £95.33 | £95.33 | Allowed in full | — |
| Management fees (2024/2025) | £271 | £271 | Allowed in full | — |
| Lifts (2024/2025) | £446 | £446 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2024/2025) | £220 | £220 | Allowed in full | — |
| Staffing & concierge (2024/2025) | £527.33 | £527.33 | Allowed in full | — |
| Gardening & grounds (2024/2025) | £403.60 | £403.60 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2024/2025) | £62.67 | £62.67 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2024/2025) | £11.41 | £11.41 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2024/2025) | £400 | £400 | Allowed in full | — |
Section 20C order: refused.
Key passages (verbatim)
“The Tribunal considers the management fee for 2020/2021 is not reasonable, and reduces this amount by 1/3 from £225.00 to £150.00.”
“The Tribunal finds the £10.00 cost of the lift insurance is reasonable.”
“The Tribunal considers the costs for bulk refuse collection is reasonable.”
“The Tribunal determines that the amount claimed for caretaking costs were unreasonable, and that it is reasonable to reduce these costs by 40%: 2020/2021 is reduced from £417.10 to £250.26.”
“The Tribunal finds that £14.75 for electrical testing in 2020/2021 is reasonable.”
“The Tribunal considers the costs for servicing and maintenance of the door entry system are reasonable.”
“Also of some concern is the defective fire door that has been stuck open since around January 2024, and is therefore redundant as a fire door. The potential fire risk to residents due to its 5th floor location is of particular concern. Those residents would be vulnerable in the event of a fire, making effective fire stopping measures even more important.”
This summary is assembled from the structured record of the published decision; amounts appear only where the tribunal stated them. Always rely on the full decision itself.