Service Charge / Payment Queries FAQ’s

The quickest and most effective way to pay your common charges account is online through your RMG Living account where you can also view your statement of account and up to date balance. You may also be able to pay by Direct Debit, Standing Order, bank transfer (BACS) or over the phone by calling our Customer Services Team. On some developments, payment terms may vary; please see your invoice for full details of all the options available to you.

The way in which RMG Scotland collects payment of common expenditure at your development may vary.  You may be invoiced periodically in advance based on a budget, or billed in arrears periodically, based on actual outgoings.

A common charges budget is primarily designed to budget for the anticipated day-to-day costs of managing your property.  You are then invoiced periodically (quarterly, half yearly or annually) to contribute funds towards the anticipated expenditure.

Often a sum of money is allocated to a ‘reserve’ or ‘sinking fund’ which is used to fund unexpected costs or major cyclical works. Even where such a provision exists, it may not be enough to cover all eventualities. On these occasions, the costs of major works will need to be apportioned and charged as a separate expenditure.

At the end of every financial year for your development, accounts are audited in respect of the year’s budgets. Sometimes there can be an over spend on the accounts due to unforeseen expenditure required. Should this occur, a deficit is declared on the accounts. The deficit is then apportioned to residents and requested as a one off charge to settle the outstanding debt.

Should there be a budget underspend on the year end accounts, the under spend is apportioned and credited back to residents in the form of a surplus credit. The surplus credit is offset on the next period’s service charge.

If your development is invoiced in arrears, you will receive invoices detailing actual expenditure periodically.  

It is customary for owners to pay a float sum which is held by the factor and refundable at the transfer of ownership.

Details of specific development common charges invoicing can be found of your Property Schedule of Services.

In order to collect your payment by direct debit, you will need to set up a direct debit mandate with our Customer Service Team. Depending on the anticipated expenditure at your development, you can set up a direct debit instalment plan which will collect your payments monthly over an agreed period.

Additionally, some developments may allow payment by direct debit through a collect in full mandate. This means that the full charge will be collected in one instalment following the invoice being issued.

To cancel your direct debit you will need to contact us directly on 0345 002 4499 and we will be able to action this request for you. If you cancel your direct debit through your bank, we may not be notified in time and may try to collect the payment. A denied payment request may incur additional charges from your bank, so it is recommended that you contact us directly.

Under the terms of property title deeds or deed of conditions, or by majority instruction from owners, RMG Scotland may place buildings insurance for the reinstatement value of your property, on your behalf.  In this case, you do not need to arrange separate buildings insurance yourself, however you will still need to arrange separate contents insurance.

A search of the Registers of Scotland is conducted to confirm the owner of property in Scotland. RMG will only recharge the cost of the necessary search fee if payment of your common charges account hasn’t been made, and there has been no response from the owner or address we have on record.