Residents are receiving refunds after finding out they had been mistakenly charged for communal street lighting.
The hidden fee, which potentially dates back nearly two decades, was spotted when Steve Wilson spotted it on his service charge, prompting him to ask for a more detailed break-down.
The 60-year-old, who has lived in a Golding Homes bungalow in Maidstone, for two-and-a-half years, was told he was being charged a communal lighting fee of £1.12 a month.
However, all the lighting on this road is both provided and maintained by Kent County Council (KCC).
It is understood to be an issue affecting all the tenants in the street and is one which could stretch back to when Golding Homes took over the housing stock from Maidstone council in 2004.
Steve said: "It's a rip-off, it's a scam. They're thieving off their tenants and charging them for something they're not providing.
"I understand if you live in a block of flats or a private road, paying for lighting makes sense, but not for me. This is definitely wrong."
Steve says since discovering the charge, he has repeatedly phoned Golding Homes about it without success.
After his local paper KentOnline contacted him, the housing association has since refunded him £35.25 and removed the communal lighting charge from his bill.
Steve added: "I don't know what has spurred Golding Homes to take action all I know is I received my refund after speaking to KentOnline."
In a comment, Annemarie Roberts, director of operations at Golding Homes said: "We've been in touch with customers to apologise and refund the communal lighting charges and are grateful for their understanding in resolving this issue.
"We acted quickly, reviewing the information available to understand what went wrong and put it right.
"We're checking the services charged to customers and are listening to their feedback to learn lessons and keep improving."
Eight residents along Steve's street have now been promised a refund - all his neighbours were unaware of the charge until they received the letter this week.
One had been living on the road for 16 years without realising and was refunded £78.42, while another, who had been there 10 years, was refunded £72.49.
Golding Homes was asked how long the charges had been in place - but said it could not check those details without customers' full details.
But the spokeswoman added: "When the stock was transferred to us from Maidstone Borough Council we received a list of assets that are our responsibility, including these street lights.
"We pay the electricity service provider, and these costs are passed back to customers in their service charges."
Steve's daughter, however, who lives two miles away in a Golding Homes property in Quarry Square, is being charged £1.16 a week for communal lighting but has been told she is not eligible for a refund.
Ms Roberts explained: "Some customers are still required to pay communal lighting charges as they do not only relate to street lighting; they can also include bollards and lighting in internal communal spaces.
"Charges are variable depending on the electricity usage.
"We pay the electricity service provider, and these costs are passed back to customers in their service charges."
