Leaseholders take CURO to Tribunal over “4,000% Service Charge Hike”

Residents of Coombe Lodge have formally filed an application with the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) against Curo Places Ltd, following a “deadlock” in negotiations over a staggering 4,000% increase in service charges according to Weston Housing Action.

The filing, submitted on Wednesday 1st April by Weston Housing AcTion (WHAT) on behalf of the “Coombe Lodge Five,” challenges Curo’s attempt to demand nearly £10,000 per household for fire safety works—despite a written indemnity from Curo in 2025 promising that residents would not be billed for these costs says a representative of WHAT.

The legal challenge, according to Weston Housing Action centres on three failures by Curo including promises that residents wouldn’t need to meet fire-stopping costs, breach of contract and Building Safety Act violations.

Alan Rice, Lead Representative for Weston Housing AcTion, said:

“We gave Curo every opportunity to do the right thing and honour their own written word. Instead, they chose to double down on a mathematically flawed and legally ‘void’ demand. We have now placed this matter in the hands of the Tribunal to protect these residents from predatory overcharging.”

The residents are seeking a formal determination that the charges are neither payable nor reasonable, alongside an order preventing Curo from passing their own legal costs back to the leaseholders.