Set out below is a list of services and an explanation of what each involves.

 Emergency response service

A 24-hour, year round emergency service is provided by the Estate Services Section. The service is co-ordinated by the Wandsworth Emergency Control who are in constant radio contact with the uniformed mobile Estate Services Officers. This service ensures that emergency and other incidents are responded to as quickly as possible.

Wandsworth Emergency Control can be contacted on (020) 8871 7490.

During busy periods your call may not be answered immediately but please do not hang up as you will be held in a queuing system and a member of staff will deal with your call as soon as they are able.

The Estate Services Group also deal with non-emergency matters including the monitoring of cleaning and day to day repairs to the communal areas. To report problems or to make enquiries on these matters please contact the hotline number on (020) 8871 7446.

Cleaning of external communal areas is carried out by private contractors. Monitoring the standard of cleaning is the responsibility of Housing Contract Services, your management co-operative or Resident Management Organisation (RMO).

The cost of electricity and bulbs for lighting estate footways, paths and grounds and also the cost of light fittings where they are easily accessible are included in the service charge. This category does not include lighting for adopted public roads which run through the estates as this cost is met from the General Fund which forms part of your Council Tax.
NB: Your service charges do not cover costs arising from the repair and maintenance of lighting located on adopted public highways running through some estates. These costs are met from the Council's General Fund, the cost of which is met from your Council Tax.

Garden maintenance includes grass cutting, maintenance of flowerbeds, planting and pruning. The work is carried out by the Council's garden maintenance contractor. An additional charge is included for tree inspection and maintenance.

Estate repairs are carried out to communal parts of the 'estate' as defined in your lease. This includes the responsive maintenance of footways, estate roads, walls, fences and railings, estate drains and estate lighting etc. It does not include works to adopted roads, paths and footways running through the estate as this cost is met from the General Fund which forms part of your Council Tax.

These are the cost of day-to-day repairs and maintenance to the communal parts of your block as shown in your lease agreement. The Council is not responsible for repairs or maintenance inside your flat, although the Council will carry out emergency work to prevent a problem causing either a nuisance to other people or damage to the structure of the block. You may be charged for any work carried out inside your flat. If there is a charge this will be billed separately from your service charges and will include VAT and administration charges.

This is for the cleaning of internal communal areas, including the removal of rubbish, clearance of blocked refuse chutes where possible and some inspections of Council equipment and fittings. Monitoring the standard of cleaning is the responsibility of Housing Contract Services. Block cleaning does not include the weekly domestic refuse collection.

 Block electricity

This is the cost of the provision of electricity supplied to your block. It also includes the cost of materials such as bulbs, tubes and starter motors for communal areas.

 Paladins

The hire charge for paladins includes the provision of the containers, the repairs and maintenance and the scheduled steam cleaning of bins. Where necessary bins beyond repair will be replaced.

 Lift repairs

All lifts and other associated equipment are regularly inspected and serviced. Included in this cost are any out-of-hours attendance and repairs not covered by the service contract.

 Lift running costs

This is the cost of the electricity used for running a lift, plus the cost of inspections by the Council's insurers.

 Building insurance

See the building insurance page for more information

 Contribution to fund

In order to meet claims below £50,000, the Council maintains a fund and has to obtain contributions from leaseholders instead of collecting premiums. The combined cost of this contribution, together with the premium payable to Zurich Municipal, (shown under the Building Insurance heading above) represents a substantially reduced cost when compared with standard insurance premiums.

 Management expenses

The Council has to recover all the costs involved in managing leasehold properties. These include the leaseholder's share of general expenses such as premises, salaries and office expenses. There are also costs that relate solely to leaseholders, such as the cost of sending out service charge bills, or dealing with leaseholders queries. Any items that are not relevant to leaseholders, such as letting vacant properties, internal repairs to tenants' flats and housing benefit administration are excluded.

 Minor works commissioning fee

A fee is added to all repairs and maintenance costs and it is included in the total amounts shown for estate, block and lift repairs. This covers technical, supervisory and administrative costs associated with repairs and maintenance works.

 Queries about your service charge bill

If your query is about the bill itself, payment options that are available, how much is outstanding, etc. then you should contact the Income Collection Service on (020) 8871 6297 or send an email to debtorsaccounts@wandsworth.gov.uk

 Queries about the make-up of your service charge bill

If your query is about the make-up of your service charge bill and you want a breakdown of costs or want some more information about how the Council arrived at your service charge contribution, then you need to contact your Estate Manager in the Housing Department.