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Service charges and arrears
How much does a county court claim for service charge arrears cost in 2026? Court fees by claim size and a year's bill for a small firm
Court fees for a service charge arrears claim in 2026: £35 to £455 to issue, £27 to £346 for a small claims hearing, and a year's total for a 30-block firm.
Issuing a county court claim for service charge arrears costs between £35 and £455 for a debt of up to £10,000, and 5% of the claim above that. If the leaseholder defends, a small claims hearing adds between £27 and £346. These are the court's own fees as GOV.UK showed them on 1 October 2026; its fees guide was last updated on 13 July 2026. A solicitor's charges come on top and are a quote, not a published figure.
The fee to issue
The fee depends on the amount claimed plus any interest claimed with it.
| Claim, with interest | Fee to issue |
|---|---|
| Up to £300 | £35 |
| £300.01 to £500 | £50 |
| £500.01 to £1,000 | £70 |
| £1,000.01 to £1,500 | £80 |
| £1,500.01 to £3,000 | £115 |
| £3,000.01 to £5,000 | £205 |
| £5,000.01 to £10,000 | £455 |
| £10,000.01 to £200,000 | 5% of the claim |
| More than £200,000 | £10,000 |
Arrears of £2,950 cost £115 to issue. Add £80 of interest under the lease and the claim is £3,030, which costs £205. A claim of exactly £5,000 costs £205 to issue, and one of £5,001 costs £455.
GOV.UK says the claimant may be able to claim the fee back if the case is won, so the fee goes on the claim form beside the debt.
The hearing fee
A claim that is paid, admitted or never answered ends without a hearing. Where a defence is filed and the case is listed, the claimant pays a hearing fee.
| Track and claim size | Hearing fee |
|---|---|
| Small claims, up to £300 | £27 |
| Small claims, £300.01 to £500 | £59 |
| Small claims, £500.01 to £1,000 | £85 |
| Small claims, £1,000.01 to £1,500 | £123 |
| Small claims, £1,500.01 to £3,000 | £181 |
| Small claims, more than £3,000 | £346 |
| Fast track | £619 |
| Intermediate track or multi-track | £1,334 |
The court's guide says a claim is struck out if the hearing fee is not paid by the date in the order. It also says the fee is not refunded once paid, and is not due at all if the parties settle before the payment date.
If the leaseholder disputes the charge itself
A defence saying the charge is unreasonable or not payable raises a question the First-tier Tribunal can decide. Under section 176A of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 the court may transfer that part of the case to the tribunal, and may then give effect to the tribunal's decision in a court order.
A landlord can also start in the tribunal. Section 27A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 lets it decide whether a service charge is payable, by whom, how much and by when. The tribunal fees for that application, as substituted on 13 July 2026, are £114 to apply and £227 for a hearing.
| Route for £2,400 of arrears | To start | If heard | Both |
|---|---|---|---|
| County court claim | £115 | £181 | £296 |
| Tribunal application under section 27A | £114 | £227 | £341 |
On a transfer from the court, article 5 of the tribunal's Fees Order says the fee payable is the fee due less the fees already paid to the court in the same proceedings. A claimant who paid £115 to issue has covered the £114 application fee. How the credit applies to the hearing fee we could not confirm from the Order.
After judgment
Enforcing an unpaid judgment has its own fees.
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Warrant of control | £96 |
| Attachment of earnings order | £139 for each defendant |
| Charging order | £139 for each order |
What a solicitor can add to an undefended claim
Where a solicitor issues the claim, Part 45 of the Civil Procedure Rules fixes what can be claimed for that work if the claim is not defended. Table 2 of Practice Direction 45 gives the fixed commencement costs where the court serves the claim form:
- £50 for a claim of more than £25 and up to £500
- £70 up to £1,000
- £80 up to £5,000
- £100 above £5,000
Table 3 adds £22 for a judgment in default of an acknowledgment of service of up to £5,000, and £30 above that. On a £2,400 claim that is £80 plus £22, so £102, beside the £115 fee.
A solicitor's real bill will be higher than £102. Whether the lease lets the client recover the difference from the leaseholder, or put any of it on the service charge, is a separate question. Our guide on recovering legal costs through the service charge sets out the tests.
A year of claims for a firm with 30 blocks
Take a firm managing 30 blocks and 900 flats. In one year nine accounts go to court after the three arrears letters have failed.
| Claims | Each claim | Fee to issue | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | £1,240 | £80 | £320 |
| 3 | £2,400 | £115 | £345 |
| 1 | £4,200 | £205 | £205 |
| 1 | £7,800 | £455 | £455 |
| 9 | £1,325 |
Two of the nine are defended and heard on the small claims track: one of the £2,400 claims at £181 and the £7,800 claim at £346, which is £527. One judgment is enforced by a charging order at £139.
The year comes to £1,325 plus £527 plus £139, so £1,991. The nine claims total £24,160, which puts the court fees at about 8% of the money claimed. Each client pays the fees on its own claims, so agree before issuing who funds them.
Before the fee is paid
- Test the demand. A leaseholder can withhold a charge demanded without the summary of rights, and a demand without the landlord's name and address is treated as not due. Either is a defence to the claim. The demand checker runs the four tests.
- Check who owes the sum. If the flat changed hands, read who is liable for arrears when a flat is sold before naming a defendant.
- Add the interest the lease allows and see which band the total falls in.
- Ask the solicitor for a fixed quote to judgment and set it beside the £102.
This is general information for England, not legal advice.
Short answers from this page
How much does it cost to take a leaseholder to the county court for unpaid service charges in 2026?
The fee to issue depends on the amount claimed with interest: £80 for £1,000.01 to £1,500, £115 up to £3,000, £205 up to £5,000 and £455 up to £10,000, on the fees GOV.UK showed on 1 October 2026. A defended small claim adds a hearing fee of £27 to £346. A £2,400 claim taken to a hearing costs £296 in court fees.
Source: GOV.UK, Make a court claim for money: court fees, and Civil court fees (EX50), last updated 13 July 2026, read 1 October 2026
Where this comes from: Make a court claim for money, court fees (gov.uk); Civil court fees (EX50), last updated 13 July 2026 (gov.uk); First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Fees Order 2013, article 5 and Schedule 1 as substituted on 13 July 2026, Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 s 176A and Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 s 27A (legislation.gov.uk); Practice Direction 45, Tables 2 and 3 (justice.gov.uk); all read 2026-10-01.
AEO Lookup editorial team
We write practical guides for people who run small UK firms, and we check every fact against its source on the date shown. Read how we review, or tell us if something has changed.
