Interactive Estate Planning Tool
Work out the right service charge for your estate in minutes. Calculate annual operating costs, divide by households, and see exactly what landlords owe and how they pass it to their tenants.
Use our specialized capital project calculator with built-in defaulter cushions and instant WhatsApp notice generation.
Step 1 of 1
Adjust your monthly running costs below. Select an estate size preset or customize your expenses, reserve fund, and household counts.
Every occupied home or flat is counted as 1 household. If a landlord owns a block of 4 flats, that counts as 4 households.
Combined communal expenses for all 60 homes before dividing per unit.
ℹ️ Estate service charges cover communal operations (security guards, streetlights, drainage clearing, waste coordination, gate upkeep, estate software, Zoom/Google Drive, and administration). Individual home generators, diesel, and private boreholes are managed individually by residents and landlords.
Emergency fund for transformer repairs, borehole replacement, and road paving.
Cushions cashflow so the estate doesn't run out of funds for security guards or urgent repairs when a resident is late.
Recommended service charge per household
Calculated across 60 paying households in the estate
| Budget Item | Per Month | Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Expenses | ₦1,260,000 | ₦15,120,000 |
| Reserve / Sinking Fund (10%) | ₦126,000 | ₦1,512,000 |
| Total Collection Budget | ₦1,386,000 | ₦16,632,000 |
💡 Tip: While monthly billing sounds lighter on paper, chasing households 12 times a year is exhausting and causes cashflow shortages. Most estates collect yearly at lease start or renewal.
Ready to automate bill distribution and payment reconciliation?
Set up your estate free on BreeUpFree for small self-managed groups of up to 3 households.
How it works
Different estate structures demand different rules. Here is how committees across Nigeria calculate and collect their service charge.
Best for: Gated estates, closes, terraces and residential compounds
Every occupied home or flat pays an identical share. Because gate security, streetlights, borehole water and waste collection benefit every resident equally, this model is by far the simplest to explain and enforce at an AGM.
Best for: Estates with landlords owning multiple flats or entire blocks
The estate bills the landlord based on the number of units they own (e.g. 4 flats = 4 shares). The landlord pays the estate directly in full, and in turn recovers the exact per-household share from each tenant alongside their annual rent or monthly dues.
Best for: Mixed communities with 2-bed flats, terraces and 5-bed duplexes
When houses differ drastically in size, larger detached duplexes place heavier load on estate infrastructure and parking spaces. Duplexes or commercial shops are assigned a weighted multiplier (e.g. 1.4x or 1.8x).
Best for: Young professionals and flatmates sharing an apartment
When multiple housemates share a flat in Lagos or Abuja, estate service charges are split equally among all occupants. Each roommate receives their own digital invoice and receipt, taking the lead tenant out of the awkward debt collector role.
Governance & Collections
A major headache for estate EXCOs is chasing tenants who claim their landlord handles dues, while landlords claim the tenant is responsible. Here is the proven model that ends this cycle:
The estate invoices the property owner for every household they own in the estate. If a landlord owns 4 flats, they receive a single annual bill for 4 household shares.
The landlord passes the exact household share (e.g. ₦35,000/mo or ₦420,000/yr) to each tenant. It is either bundled into the annual rent or billed as a separate service fee.
BreeUp tracks which units belong to which landlord, automatically sends digital invoices, issues receipts, and generates real-time arrears reports for the AGM.
FAQ
Dividing total running costs by the number of households is the fairest, most transparent model. Security guards, gate access control, streetlights, and borehole maintenance protect every living unit. It eliminates confusion and takes less than 30 seconds to explain at an estate AGM.
Yes! A group of flatmates sharing an apartment can use BreeUp as a micro-group. It is 100% free for groups of up to 3 households, with zero software fees. Each roommate receives their own payment link on WhatsApp and an instant digital receipt when they pay.
The estate executive committee should always hold the property owner (landlord) legally responsible for the service charge of their units. The landlord then passes the exact service charge on to their tenants in their tenancy agreement. This ensures the estate doesn't suffer when tenants move out or delay rent.
Yes. In almost all well-run Nigerian estates, vacant units still pay the service charge. The gate is still guarded, the street is still lit, and the property value is maintained. Landlords should account for brief vacancy periods in their rental pricing rather than defunding the estate.
We strongly recommend instituting an annual service fee collected at the start of each tenant's lease or renewal. While monthly billing sounds lighter on paper, chasing dozens of households twelve times a year is an impractical mess that creates constant friction and cashflow shortages. Most residents and landlords prefer paying the service charge once a year upfront alongside their annual rent, securing the estate's operating budget for the entire year.
A reserve fund is money set aside exclusively for unexpected capital repairs, like a blown 500kVA transformer, borehole pump breakdown, or entrance gate repair. Setting aside 10% of your annual budget prevents sudden emergency levies that anger residents.
Yes! BreeUp is completely free for small groups of up to 3 households that manage their own close, compound, or shared gate. Micro-estates under 10 homes can also apply for platform fee waivers, paying only standard payment gateway processing fees.
No software setup fees. Free for small self-managed groups of up to 3 households. Create your estate in five minutes and start sending automated dues notices today.