Average service charge for flat in England and Wales hit £2,300 last year

Some of the biggest increases since 2019 were in the north-west of England, where there have been a higher number of city centre development, said Hamptons. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

The average annual service charge for a leasehold flat in England and Wales has jumped by an inflation-busting 11% to £2,300, according to data.

The increase – the biggest for at least eight years – means that for many their service charge is their largest household bill after their mortgage, and may fuel fresh calls for the government to accelerate an overhaul of the scandal-hit leasehold sector.