I am a full-time worker who was lured into the promise of affordable housing, only to be hit with an outrageous service charges my service charge will be increasing to £7275.24 per annum which is an outrageous £606 per month. My overall cost has increased by 50% in the past year. 

The housing agent L&Q who charges these service charges have zero regard for residents and you are not even permitted to speak to the service charge team on the phone as they hide behind emails. The building is not taken care of it smells of weed, constantly vandalised and there is no action from L&Q to fix any of these issues. 

This issue is pushing people towards poverty with out of control costs they cannot pay and is damaging many hard working citizens mental and physical health. 

This is not just my story, but the story of countless others across the U.K., trapped by hidden costs and unregulated service charges.

Service charges are supposed to cover the cost of maintaining communal areas in residential properties, but many residents like myself are finding these fees skyrocketing without clear explanation or justification. According to Leasehold Knowledge Partnership (LKP), there is an estimated £1.4 billion overcharged annually in service fees across England and Wales alone.

The lack of regulation allows landlords and managing agents to exploit leaseholders, often those least able to afford these unexpected costs. The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has acknowledged that there is a significant problem with how service charges are handled currently.

We need immediate action from our government officials. We demand transparency in how these fees are calculated and spent, as well as stricter regulations on increases that can be imposed without consent or fair warning.

Please sign this petition if you believe that every resident deserves fair treatment when it comes to their home's expenses. Your signature can help bring about much-needed change for all leaseholders affected by this scandalous practice.