Can I request compensation from an estate agent who gave seemingly incorrect service charge rates on a property?
I am a first time buyer in the process of buying a leasehold property in England. When I viewed the property I was emailed the property information from the estate agent which included the service charge as being £1200 per annum. I am now at the point of getting ready to sign the contracts and my solicitor has sent over all of the results of their enquiries which includes statements dating back to 2022 showing that the service charge is paid every 6 months and ranges from £1800 to £2700. The building has recently gone through some maintenance which included asbestos removal which explains why the most recent service charge amounts are higher but I have not been provided any evidence that the service charge was ever £1200 per annum or any guarantee that it will return to that now the asbestos removal has been completed.
If I knew the service charge would be this high I would not have made my offer and I have already put money into surveys and solicitors. I have also closed down my help to buy ISA and I am not sure I can get that back. At this stage I will probably have to pull out of the sale as I cannot afford the service charge this high.
Would I be within my right to request that the estate agent covers the costs I have already made as I believe there has been misrepresentation of the property, or should this be something I should have asked before spending any money?
Posted Mar 10, 2026, 11:21 AM UTC