THE METHOD
From a statement to a considered next step.
Start with a free check. Add your lease for a self-service Evidence Pack, or appoint us for a separate service with human review and correspondence on your behalf.
We read your statement
You upload the demand, budget or year-end accounts as a PDF, CSV or spreadsheet, and our ingestion reads the actual file line by line: the cost items, the totals and the apportionment applied to your unit. Prefer not to dig out your own paperwork first? Try it instantly on one of our sample statements.
The engine screens every cost
We compare the supplied apportionment, line items and any explicit lease limits. Conditional items such as improvements, marketing, commission and reserves stay as evidence queries rather than being removed by invented RICS percentages.
Choose the Evidence Pack
Upload a readable, complete lease. Where usable terms and a monetary query are established, you can buy a fixed-price report with quoted clauses, calculations and a draft letter for you to verify and send. The pack is generated automatically and does not include professional human review.
Or appoint us to represent you
With your recorded authority, we raise the approved query and help negotiate any supported refund, credit or future-budget correction. A success fee is invoiced after a documented recovery. The separate Evidence Pack has a fixed upfront fee.
The ruleset
Know what the check looks for.
Each finding shows its basis. Supplied lease facts may support a provisional calculation; a category label alone does not prove a charge is invalid.
Overstated apportionment
The allocation and apportionment must follow the lease and be demonstrably fair and reasonable, with a clear matrix showing the basis used.
Void unit costs passed to tenants
The cost attributable to unlet units is the landlord's, not a cost the occupying tenants should absorb.
Improvement or enhancement cost
Improvement and enhancement costs require close review against the lease, reasonable alternatives, cost benefit and any written tenant agreement; landlord investment enhancements should not simply be passed through.
Landlord-only or shared marketing costs
Asset management, rent collection, initial launch, vacant-unit marketing and similar landlord costs should not be included; other marketing may be jointly funded and must be transparent.
Insurance commission disclosure
Insurance remuneration, commission, rebates and related benefits must be disclosed; retention must be reasonable for the work undertaken.
Insurance rebate not passed through
The value of advantageous insurance discounts and performance-linked rebates should be passed to tenants in full and all related income disclosed.
Management fee scope or lease cap
The management fee must reflect the reasonable work and overheads of managing the services, be set as a fixed cost and exclude landlord-only duties such as asset management and rent collection.
Reserve-fund support required
Reserve contributions must follow the lease, be reasonable, relate to identified expenditure and be supported by a clear calculation and lifecycle assessment.
Charge exceeds the lease cap
The lease caps the annual service charge; the demand above the cap is not payable.
Catch-all line requires itemisation
A material catch-all line should be itemised and tested against the lease before any adjustment is asserted.
Material variance requires explanation
Material variances should be communicated promptly and explained; the size of a variance is a review signal, not proof that the charge is irrecoverable.
Year-end support or reconciliation gap
The applicable lease approval requirements and the standard's year-end account, reconciliation and independent-review expectations should be checked and supporting information requested.
The case workflow
What happens after you appoint us.
You stay in control throughout, with a live view of every stage in your dashboard.
- 1
Review
We have completed a preliminary check and are validating the potential grounds against the lease and supporting evidence.
- 2
Engaged
You have appointed Chargewise as your service-charge adviser. We are preparing the case.
- 3
Query raised
A formal query and challenge has been sent to the landlord or managing agent citing the lease and RICS code.
- 4
Negotiation
We are discussing the supported adjustment and requested evidence with the agent.
- 5
Resolved
Overcharges refunded and the ongoing annual charge corrected.
Ready to see your findings?
Upload this year's statement. The screening is free; you can review the extracted figures before continuing.