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Tenant - service charges
Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) is committed to being transparent about how your service charges are spent. Below you’ll find a summary of actual costs compared to estimates, along with explanations for any differences. In terms of next steps, we will be reviewing and sharing our findings across the housing services.
How to read this page
🟥↗ means we have spend more (deficit) than our estimate, 🟨→ means there was no difference between our estimate and the actual 🟩↘ means we have spent less (surplus). You can also visit How are my service charges worked out? if would like to understand the terms we use.
Not every service charge element has been included in this summary. We have concentrated on those with deficits and a few of the larger surpluses. If you would like more information about any of the charges, please contact us at rentservicechargereview@milton-keynes.gov.uk
Communal Facilities
SF02 Servicing - White Goods and Laundry Equipment
| Estimate Collected | Actual Spend | Deficit or Surplus |
|---|---|---|
£14,925 |
£26,771 |
£11,846 🟥↗ |
Why were costs higher?
- This equipment is usually found in our over 55’s schemes (Sheltered Schemes) and our modular scheme used for temporary accommodation.
- We estimated that equipment may need one repair a year, this year we have seen an increase in the number of repairs needed resulting in a higher spend.
SF04 Servicing - Fire Fighting Equipment
| Estimate Collected | Actual Spend | Deficit or Surplus |
|---|---|---|
£10,642 |
£17,425 |
£6,783 🟥↗ |
Why were costs higher?
- We want to reassure you that this overspend directly relates to maintaining safety across the schemes.
- While our routine, scheduled servicing of the fire alarm and dry riser systems proceeded as planned, our regular testing program identified an increased number of equipment faults. These faults were repaired immediately rather than waiting for the next budget cycle.
SF07 Fire Risk Assessments and Safety Inspections
| Estimate Collected | Actual Spend | Deficit or Surplus |
|---|---|---|
£200,767 |
£111,600 |
£0 🟨→ |
Why are there no surplus or deficits?
- Fire Risk Assessment and Safety Inspection charges are funded through a Reserve Fund, which spreads costs over several years. This means that the amount charged in 2025/26 may not have been spent in that year. Consequently, the difference between the estimated and actual charges will not necessarily equal the annual deficit or surplus, as these costs are managed through the Reserve Fund.
- This allows us to level out service charges each year, rather than you seeing service charges rising and falling each year based on which surveys and inspections have been completed in that year.
- We have procured a specialist fire risk assessment company to deliver our ongoing programme of fire risk assessments as required by fire safety legislation. We get these done as often as our specialist or regulations require.
- Fire safety requirements have recently changed, so we are now directly managing this specialism, instead of it being through a larger repairs and maintenance contract. Our investment demand for this has been adjusted accordingly.
Utility Charges
SU01 Communal Electricity and Gas
| Estimate Collected | Actual Spend | Deficit or Surplus |
|---|---|---|
| £763,852 | £615,209 | -£148,643 🟩↘ |
Why were costs lower?
- The setting of service charge estimates for gas and electricity is very difficult as the worldwide energy market is so turbulent now. We reprocured our energy contract from 1 October 2024, staying with LASER as the provider of a 5-year contract.
SU02 Communal Water and Sewerage
| Estimate Collected | Actual Spend | Deficit or Surplus |
|---|---|---|
| £26,015 | £51,427 | £25,413 🟥↗ |
Why were costs higher?
- Our estimated charges for 2024-2025 were too low, resulting in most sites now facing a deficit.
- Although we accounted for higher standing charges and water costs, the actual increases exceeded our projections.
- For 2026-2027, we will review each account with the supplier and ensure metered sites have updated usage data.
Environmental Charges
SE01 Garden Maintenance
| Estimate Collected | Actual Spend | Deficit or Surplus |
|---|---|---|
£40,196 |
£76,961 |
£36,765🟥↗ |
Why were costs higher?
- The garden maintenance service is currently only provided at our 25 schemes for over 55’s and our modular scheme.
- It includes grass cutting, maintenance of hedges, trees and woodland and associated health and safety costs.
- The increase in cost is due to an operational change introduced this year.
- Following feedback and direct discussions with residents, we upgraded the service to include the full collection and removal of grass cuttings, rather than leaving them mulched on lawns.
Property Specific Charges
SP01 Communal Heating and Water
| Estimate Collected | Actual Spend | Deficit or Surplus |
|---|---|---|
£860,316 |
£583,883 |
-£276,433 🟩↘ |
Why were costs lower?
- The setting of service charge estimates for gas, and electricity is very difficult as the worldwide energy market is so turbulent now. We reprocured our energy contract from 1 October 2024, staying with LASER as the provider of a 5-year contract.
Open Space Charges – Parish Level
SZ01 Open Space Grounds Maintenance
| Estimate Collected | Actual Spend | Deficit or Surplus |
|---|---|---|
£692,497 |
£806,391 |
£113,894 🟥↗ |
Why were costs higher?
- The Parish grounds maintenance actual spend was 17.6% higher than the estimate collected.
- This was due to GIS mapping identifying more housing land than originally estimated and a catch up on inflation in our contract.
- We have continued with our commitment to transform several communal open spaces in and around our housing blocks, making them usable and welcoming once again for tenants.
- Alleyways, footpaths, car parks and garage areas across Milton Keynes and surrounding villages have been cleared, improving access and safety for everyone.
- For further details visit Tenants - open space ground maintenance