Tower block residents face service charge hike

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A city councillor said the service charge increase was "shocking"



Tower block residents in Coventry will be hit by a service charge hike of more than £1,000 a year.

Social housing group Citizen said people living in Nauls Mill House in Coundon would face an average rise in service charges of £22.05 per week from April.

Objections have come from community union Acorn and a city councillor, who said the increase was "shocking".

Citizen said it wanted to make sure tenants were paying the same amount and that current agreements did not reflect services provided.

Critics said the charges were "unprecedented" and "unreasonable" and that issues in the block included poor cleaning, pest infestations and inadequate security.

A spokesperson for Acorn Coventry said residents deserved "a clean, secure, and affordable home".

Councillor Jackie Gardiner, who backed a petition calling on Coventry City Council to oppose the move, said she wanted to help residents "fight these shocking increases and request the missing services for which they already pay".

Citizen's chief operating officer Madeline Nelson said for historical reasons the group had different tenancy agreements and a new one would boost "transparency and equity."

She claimed current agreements did not reflect services provided, such as keeping tenants safe and maintaining communal areas.

Citizen wanted to make sure residents were paying the same amount for services, because at the moment some were paying less, she added.

"We remain committed to providing a clean and safe environment for our customers and have recently boosted our concierge team to improve security in the block.

"Any issues with pest infestations that have been reported to us in individual properties have been dealt with immediately," she said.

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Coventry residents battle fee hike as contract dubbed return to "Dickensian times"



Dozens of Coventry residents are battling a £1,000 rise in service fees at their social housing flats. A new tenancy agreement they have been asked to sign has also sparked concern and been called a “return to Dickensian times.”

Landlord Citizen claims the new charges reflect the costs of delivering the services and has defended the contract. People living at Nauls Mill House will see bills go up by at least 160% - £22.05 per week on average - once new charges are brought in this April.

But around 50 people living at the 130-flat block in Radford are fighting the move and have formally objected. Residents say they do not think such a hike in one year is reasonable, pointing out it comes amid a cost of living crisis. They say they are worried about how they will pay.

They said the 16-storey high-rise houses vulnerable people, single mothers and people from other countries who do not have English as a first language. Residents also fear people could lose their homes if they cannot afford the hike.

Citizen says it expects people receiving housing benefit or universal credit will have the rise fully covered, so will not face extra costs. But it is not clear how many people at the flats would get this help.

Strong concerns have also been raised about a new tenancy agreement that residents are being asked to sign. The contract states rent and service charges will be reviewed at a level no higher than would have been set by a tribunal, if it had the legal power to set the increase of these charges.

But it explains the effect of this clause is that Sections 13 and 14 of the Housing Act 1988 do not apply to any rent or service charge rise. Residents do not have the right to refer any increase to the tribunal, it adds.

Tenants must also agree to keep the contract’s information confidential, including protecting it from “unauthorised use” and not sharing it with third parties without Citizen’s written permission. There are fears residents risk losing their homes if they speak out, as the contract warns breaches of conditions could result in legal action or eviction.

Cllr Jackie Gardiner, who is supporting residents, said: “The 160% increase in service is horrendous enough, but the new tenancy agreement seeks to propel tenants back into Dickensian times! No right to appeal costs and if you tell anyone you are evicted!”

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The article raises more questions than it answers. Why only Nauls Mill House, what about all the other blocks owned by Citizen? Why would any tenant agree to a new contract which gives them fewer rights than the old contract?