Guides·6 min read
What is a Service Charge on a Flat?
A short, plain-English explanation of what a service charge on a flat actually is, what it covers, how much is normal, and what your basic rights are as a UK leaseholder.
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self-manage your block
proppa-ly
Everything your block of flats runs on, in one place. Service charges, who has paid, repairs, insurance and key dates. Run by you and your neighbours, with no managing agent.
Who has paid
Emerald House · September service charge
- Flat 1£120.00 Paid
- Flat 2£120.00 Paid
- Flat 3£120.00 Paid
- Flat 4£120.00Reminder sent
- Flat 5£120.00 Paid
- Flat 6£120.00 Paid
see who’s paid
Emerald House, our demo block. Every card is the real product.
included from day one
- Service charge budget, split by flat
- See who has paid, at a glance
- Repairs reported, quoted and sorted
- Reminders for insurance and key dates
- Documents everyone can find
- Votes and meeting notes in one place
a year in the life of your block
Running a block is a handful of jobs that come round every year. proppa does each one in plain English, in the order they actually happen.
do the sums once. proppa does the splitting.
Put in what the building costs for the year: insurance, cleaning, a repairs fund, whatever your block needs. proppa works out each flat’s share and the monthly or quarterly amounts, so nobody has to do the sums in a spreadsheet.
no more chasing flat 4.
Each leaseholder gets a clear request for their share and pays straight from their bank. You see who is up to date and who needs a gentle nudge, without chasing anyone yourself.
from “there’s a leak” to “it’s booked”.
A neighbour reports a leaking gutter with a photo. Quotes come in, the block agrees one, the job gets booked. Everyone can see where it is up to, so the group chat can go quiet.
the dates live in proppa, not in your head.
Insurance renewals, fire alarm servicing, the annual meeting, the accounts. proppa keeps the dates and reminds everyone in good time, so the building stays on track without anyone carrying it all in their head.
one vote. no 40-message thread.
Vote on the things that need agreeing. Keep the insurance schedule, meeting notes and contracts in one place that every flat can reach. Nothing gets lost in an email thread again.
built for small blocks, not big agencies
Millions of people in England and Wales own a leasehold flat and pay a service charge every year. Nearly all the software for looking after their buildings was built for large managing agents. proppa was built for six neighbours who would rather look after their own.
- financial clarity
- Shared budgets, service charge tracking and full visibility, so everyone understands the money and trusts the process.
- everything organised
- Documents, jobs, repairs and updates kept clearly, so nothing gets lost in email chains or WhatsApp groups.
- no agents, no middlemen
- You stay in control. proppa gives you the tools; you and your neighbours make the decisions for your block.
- up and running in an afternoon
- No training sessions, no complicated setup. Add your block, invite your neighbours and put the budget in.
one loose brick. three very different weeks.
Amy owns a flat in a small 6-flat block. One morning she spots a loose brick on the outside wall. The same problem plays out three ways. Pick one and see how her week goes.
With proppa · Clear. Organised. Sorted.
- 1
Log the issue
Amy adds a photo and a line about the loose brick. Every flat is told automatically.
Loose masonry, rear wall · 6 flats notified
- 2
Everyone votes
One quick vote picks the builder. No 40-message thread.
Contractor A · 5 of 6 voted
- 3
Booked and shared
The date goes on the building calendar, so nobody is surprised.
Booked Thursday · everyone in the loop
- 4
Invoice tracked
The bill is uploaded, the payment is logged, the document is kept safe.
£1,250 · paid · stored
- 5
Everything in one place
Money, documents and decisions all sit together, at a glance.
Cash flow · budget · jobs
- 6
Year-end in one click
The figures are already there. Each flat sees the full picture.
Statements ready for all 6 flats
the short version
| Managing agent | Going it alone | With proppa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | Days to weeks | Down to your evenings | Minutes |
| Openness | Invoices you can't read | Lives in your inbox | Everyone sees the same thing |
| Workload | Out of your hands, mostly | Basically a second job | Shared across the building |
| Cost | High, with surprises | Cheap but exhausting | A fraction of an agent |
Self-managing doesn’t have to mean doing everything alone. proppa gives your block the tools to run it together.
Book a demoyour building, your rules.
proppa gives flat owners the tools to run their building without a managing agent.
£10 per flat a month. The first 25 blocks pay £5 for their first 6 months. Plus a small service fee and VAT on each payment.
- No setup fees
- No long contracts
- First month free
- Yearly plan: cancel any time, access until your year is up
6 flats
1 flat15+ flats
A managing agent for a 6-flat building typically costs £1,800 to £3,600 a year.
Based on industry average managing agent fees of £300 to £600 per flat per year for small blocks in England and Wales. proppa is software you run yourselves, not a managing agent, so compare like with like.
cheapest
yearly plan
one payment for the whole year
£432first year
plus a £8.47 service fee, plus VAT
then £576 a year, plus a £9.82 service fee, plus VAT
£180.94 a year cheaper than paying monthly at the standard price
The first year includes the founding offer.
Book a demomonthly plan
paid every month
£30/month
plus a £0.69 service fee, plus VAT, for 6 months
then £60 a month, plus a £1.38 service fee, plus VAT
No contract, cancel any time
Book a demoSee the full details
Prices shown for a 6-flat building. Every payment is taken by Direct Debit from your building’s business bank account. Prices are shown before VAT: VAT at 20% is added to the price and the service fee. The service fee covers what it costs us to collect the payment plus a small margin, and is worked out again on each payment. For businesses only: the company that runs your building, or its managing agent.
go on, ask us anything
Anything else, email hello@proppa.io.
Who is proppa for?
Leaseholders and resident directors of small blocks who want to run their building themselves, without a managing agent.
What size blocks does proppa work for?
proppa is built specifically for blocks of 3 to 15 flats. It is not big-agency software squeezed down.
Is proppa a managing agent?
No. proppa gives you the tools to self-manage. You stay in control and make the decisions for your block.
How much does proppa cost?
From £5 per flat per month plus VAT as a founding block, plus a small service fee on each payment that covers our payment costs. Paying yearly works out cheaper (20% off), with no setup fees and no long contracts. It is for businesses (your RTM or management company) and paid by Direct Debit.
Is proppa right for our block?
If you are a small block tired of high service charges and chasing an agent, yes. Book a 30-minute demo and see it with your own building in mind.
the stuff nobody tells you about running a block
Plain-English answers on service charges, Right to Manage, repairs and what things should cost.
Guides·13 min read
Service Charges Explained: A Leaseholder's Guide
Everything UK leaseholders need to know about service charges in 2026, what they cover, how they're calculated, your statutory rights, Section 20 consultation, disputes, and reserve funds. Plain English, no jargon.
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Guides·5 min read
Service Charge vs Ground Rent: What's the Difference?
Service charge and ground rent are constantly confused. This short UK guide explains what each one is, what it pays for, and how the 2022 ground rent reforms changed the picture.
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your block. your say. your move.
Book a 30-minute demo and see proppa with your own building in mind. Founding blocks get their first month free.
