Sam said: “My bi-annual service charges were around £766 in 2019 and £837 in 2020. Sam believed he would be fully exempt from paying the portion of the service charges that went towards fire remediation because of the Buildings Safety Act introduced in 2022, in response to the Grenfell Fire in 2017. He said: “I had to borrow £6,649.10 in 2024 from a family member to cover the service charge arrears I was being chased for. Sam says the flat loses him money each month after having to pay letting agency fees, the mortgage, service charges, tax and general maintenance. An EWS1 certificate arrived in July, meaning lenders will now be able to lend on the flat to prospective buyers.