Maintenance Charges
 

What have people's experiences been with maintenance charges? Do they provide value for money in general and how well are most properties maintained? Not sure how the system works in SP where you have communal areas, is there usually a residents' committee ?? A friend of mine in the UK was in a leasehold flat where the maintenance charge was simply a license to print money - she found it very difficult to sell the property for that reason.

Re: Maintenance Charges
 

The thing with service/maintenance charges you are never in control. Some are value for money, others are not. Some pay them, others do not. A leasehold means you only own the space plus the maintenance of that space for a period of time. Not the building or the land.

Re: Maintenance Charges
 

There has to be a community committee by law - there is an extensive law covering this aspect but as always depends on the community as an earlier poster said some are good and some not so good. Do extensive research on how it is working in the community before buying. If you rent you do not pay directly (the landlord does) or get a vote on any community issues.

Re: Maintenance Charges
 

IMHO, the system of community charging is better regulated in Spain than in the UK where the management agent / factor can charge whatever he likes for his services.