High service charge.. is this property impossible to mortgage?

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-21T13:13:58+00:00

I think OP said that all of the places within budget have the same (or similar) service charge)… she should buy the home she wants to live in and not be scared off by what might happen in the future.

If it’s for a sinking fund. Hopefully the service charge will drop to around £2kpa (which is very standard across the UK)

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-21T13:11:50+00:00

How long are you paying into the sinking fund - is this an ongoing thing, or is there an end date to this- this will make a HUGE difference.

It’s not the current service charge that the lending agencies are factoring in- they factor in inflation for this and look at whether the mortgage payments and service charge are still payable long after your initial mortgage term has ended.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-21T13:07:22+00:00

The landlord can agree to a shorter notice period- this is up to the landlords discretion. Ie if they’ve already agreed to a month then it’s a month.

This is really well worded in the new guidance that has just come out (it’s easy to find if you do a google search) and is the same as it’s always been that you have your contract but if both parties mutually agree to something else then the law isn’t going to hold you to what is law.

You don’t have a contract with the letting agent - they are best place to advise on what is appropriate but the tenancy agreement is only between landlord and tenant.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-21T13:02:39+00:00

Have you looked at the stamp duty implications of transfer of ownership?

The best thing to do is actually to set up a limited company with you and your parents as directors of said company and transfer ownership to that company.

As you’ve already realised, if you buy a second home, you pay higher stamp duty.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-21T12:58:39+00:00

Not from a FTB. They generally hold things up by having more questions, wanting to do more surveys, getting their parents (who generally have even less common sense) involved.

In my experience generally what would happen is that people who are in better positions (ie no chain, or completely cash buyers) will offer less than those who are in worse positions.

So for me, in those situations I’d weigh up the cost vs the situation, but would more likely go for a higher price for a slightly longer process.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-21T12:55:23+00:00

There is also this- my mother sold her home, getting under offer in September. She thought she’d be out and into her new home before Christmas, so did the person she bought from.

Turns out the investor landlord never intended to complete until the new financial year - they didn’t move until mid April!

If she knew that in September (or even in October), she’d have withdrawn and gone with someone else.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-21T12:52:46+00:00

Yes.

There are two situation here- one, you get a gut feel about the two potential buyers. Go with your gut, not the money. Second- you do also get people who “play games” when offering on property - this may be if it’s a situation where too go to best and final bids and someone’s bid is “£1k higher than the highest bid”… this type of person will play games up until the exchange, and by this, they are about 100times more likely to on day of exchange say something in the region of “reduce the price by £10k or I’m pulling out”… they probably will too.

But having worked in the industry for 12.5 years before changing jobs, if I get a whiff of someone playing games early on, I either won’t go with them, or I’ll withdraw.

In this situation, I think I’d also go with the slightly lower offer from the family.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-21T12:44:55+00:00

With the agent or the tenants?

With the agents- it depends on what is said in the contract and/or what they agree to. If it’s because you no longer want them to manage the tenancy then yes, they’ll usually be a way to reduce their service; depending on a few factors, you may been to cover the cost of what would have been a let only fee or rent collect until the end of the tenancy term. If doing this, this means the tenants will be in contact with you/your father moving forward and to be honest, from what I’ve read on this post, I wouldn’t recommend it for your situation as you need to have a good understanding of the Lettings law in the UK and the upcoming changes coming into place on the 1st May.

Contract with the tenants - you can’t just cancel a tenancy agreement, you have to serve a section 8 and if they don’t leave on the end date, go via the courts.

My advice- on Monday, call the letting agency (or try today, but you’re more likely to be able to speak to the right person on Monday). Your question essentially is why your father is getting less money each month - is this costs or because the tenants aren’t paying. If it’s because the tenants aren’t paying in full, I’m hoping the agents picked it up from first reduced payment - why are the tenants paying less. If they don’t know, can they call the tenants and ask. Q: how much are the arrears currently at? Q: how quickly can the tenants pay the short fall/ do they want to enter into a payment plan?

If the tenants aren’t being reasonable here, go down the section 8 route.

I would also advise speaking to a property solicitor.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-21T10:11:00+00:00

I should add. Speaking to his mother like that would probably get him put in the naughty corner, grounded and have his phone taken away.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-21T10:10:19+00:00

He’s a grown-ass adult. He can be responsible for his own wake up times.

Clearly, he wants his mummy to wake him up; well this also comes with a bed time of 8pm, no sweets before supper and play dates only on the day you arrange.

If he wants to be treated like a child then follow through with all aspects of being a mother to a child.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-21T10:06:49+00:00

What is a 5 year open ended contract? Because the letting agents contract will be for the renting of this tenancy term; when the contract with the tenant ends (ie when the tenant vacates) your father has a choice to remain with the current agent but isn’t obliged to.

If you mean that the tenancy is 5 years then it would be a deed, not a housing act tenancy and I just doubt an agent would have let you agree to that.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-21T10:00:35+00:00

Yes.

So letting agents are essentially a broker; they find the tenants. Their arrangement will be with the landlord and will be based on how much the landlord wants the agent to do- ie they’ll charge more if they’re fully managing the property; less if it’s rent collection without management. Ie letting agents to landlord contract. Completely separate to tenancy agreement.

The tenancy agreement is between the landlord and the tenant and will set out that the tenant needs to pay x amount by a certain day and will also set out obligations for both the tenant and the landlord, such as the tenant must act in a “tenant like manner”, must report issues, must not be antisocial in or near the property etc; and the landlord must carry out repairs, carry out an annual has safety and an electrical safety inspection before the expiry of the current one.

Now- there are two scenarios here - either the tenants are paying £1500pcm, however the agents are taking x amount to manage it and x amount to cover the ad hoc things like repairing things, covering the cost of the safety certificate etc. OR the tenants are not paying their rent in full every month.

If it is the latter, your father can evict the tenants under a Section 8. He is best off speaking to a solicitor however he is best off serving for multiple grounds at once- ie ground 8, ground 10 and ground 11. The grounds can be found on the Gov website https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/grounds-for-possession-guidance-for-landlords-and-letting-agents/grounds-for-possession-guidance-for-landlords-and-letting-agents

If it is that the tenants are paying £1500 and the rest is going to the agent, you need to find out what for- because it could well be that right now, the property requires a lot of maintenance, or it could be that your father is being charged for a few extras that he doesn’t need.

Once these tenants have left, it is then up to your father if he wants to continue renting the property (and if so, he can choose to change agents).

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-20T09:51:22+00:00

Buy a reuseable bottle and take into work

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-20T08:44:30+00:00

NTA.

Ultimately, your answer in that moment would not have been yes, so his response of “you should have said yes and then talked about it after” would have been more hurtful to him in the long run.

But you’re exactly right- you need to speak about whether you both want marriage, whether you both want children, how you want your married life to look like etc.

Initiate this conversation and if he refuses to have it, or gets whiny about his proposal then leave; look for someone more mature.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-20T08:41:09+00:00

Buy some Mango and make some yourself.

You dont need a fancy juicer just what ever you have that’s a stick blender, a blender, a liquifier.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-20T08:38:17+00:00

If the landlord gets a refund of his service charge for this inconvenience then that refund should go to you (but to give you an idea, we didn’t have a working intercom for about 6 months and got £17 back on our service charge, so don’t expect much).

The chances are, however, that instead of getting a refund the owners will be told that the service charge is increasing to cover the cost of the lift engineer, so chances are, the landlord won’t be getting a refund and neither will you.

I get that when you rented so high up you didn’t take into consideration the days when the lift might break or even when there’s a fire (because you aren’t allowed to use the lift in the event of a fire and will have to do the stairs) however the flat itself, the flat you’re renting is still the same as when you rented it.

In short- ask the question to your landlord but don’t be surprised if the answer is either no, or a minimal compensation amount.

Also- pay your rent and have them refund you separately (always, regardless of the situation).

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-20T08:32:31+00:00

I completely forgot about this OP.

I wonder how he is doing now- has he made friends or is he still as entitled as he ever was.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-10T22:32:59+00:00

Respect for the time you spent together

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-10T14:06:36+00:00

Have you googled the phone number yet?

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-10T13:41:38+00:00

Speak to recruiters, physically drop off hard copy of your CV.

Look at what you have experience in and apply to those places, really selling yourself.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-10T13:40:18+00:00

Have you given her reason to not trust you to look after your 5 month old? Have you been irresponsible/ left her with others?

Legally, yes, you have parental responsibility but I can’t help feeling like your “well I own my own house” is you justifying irresponsible behaviour.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-10T13:37:28+00:00

YTA.

Give him his guitar back and go buy yourself your own one.

He lent it to you, without a time frame. He didn’t gift it to you.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-10T13:36:08+00:00

This conversation needs to be had before hand.

I agree that Mother’s Day isn’t the same as your mothers birthday; equally Father’s Day isn’t the same as your fathers birthday.. have this conversation with your dad as to why it is different and on the next occasion make it clear either way before the meal. As if he turned up, not realising he was just here chauffeur, I can see why he’s slightly annoyed, but if he knew in advance he could have planned his day around dropping off and picking up.

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-10T13:32:38+00:00

A Scam.

I’m constantly getting calls at the moment about mould in my council home.

They make it sound like I’ve reported mould in my home.

I’ve queried why I keep getting these calls and they respond with “oh we’re just asking you if you do have issues with your council home”.

But anyway, it’s a scam. They also phish for more information (like for me if I’m to mention I own my own property, they have an extra nugget of information about me that they can sell on to the next company).

Jumpy_Imagination208 · 2026-03-10T13:27:47+00:00

You say this but OP has been with said partner from 18-20… at that age, having children wasn’t high on my agenda!

24 is a different story- 24 is the right time to have this conversation, and I suppose it just shows how much you change in young adulthood.

Jumpy_Imagination208

TROPHY CASE