Fed-up residents have worked together to get rid of the property management company running their new-build estate in a revolt over rising fees.

FirstPort holds contracts for a number of housing developments across Kent - including the 400-home Faversham Lakes site.

People living there were left stunned when the total service charge bill for the estate almost doubled - soaring by £29,000.

Residents hit with hiked fees say they sought further details and a full explanation but this was not forthcoming, leading them to fight for FirstPort to be axed.

It is notoriously difficult to remove such companies because freehold homeowners on new-build estates have limited rights.

But in a victory for people power, FirstPort has now been given the boot by the Faversham Lakes developer, Anderson, which will instead carry out maintenance itself from February 1.

FirstPort is the largest property management company in the UK, with contracts for more than 5,000 developments. The firm has faced criticism in other parts of the country over “rip-off” charges, with a group of Labour MPs - including Dartford’s Jim Dickson - recently writing to its managing director expressing their “grave concerns”.

It took on the 131-acre Faversham Lakes site in 2022. But discontent soon grew over hikes in fees and an apparent failure to carry out some basic maintenance works.

One resident described FirstPort as “a shambles” and said neighbouring houses had been given wildly varying invoices with little to no information on what they were paying for – with some claiming they were being overcharged by hundreds of pounds.

More than 100 households in a WhatsApp residents chat said they had refused to pay their fees to FirstPort.

Rob Crayford, a Faversham Lakes resident and town councillor, says maintenance concerns such as blocked drains and requests for additional grit bins were raised but often went unanswered.

“It’s been very confusing as I and other residents have received different invoices for varying amounts, and we have never received clarity on the financial billing for the service charge,” he said.

“Items on the estate that I reported remain unresolved, and I found the customer service to be lacking.”

Another resident, who requested to remain anonymous, praised the people of the estate for sticking together during the ordeal.

“Between us all combining and pushing Anderson and FirstPort, we’ve been able to get rid of them,” they said.

“They simply don’t provide value for money, and without any transparency where can you go?

“A lot of people pushed back and justifiably so. We were having hundreds lumped onto our bills without any explanation whatsoever.”

Invoices seen by KentOnline show one resident was charged £324 in 2022-23 and then last year faced a bill of more than £700 because 24 months' worth of fees were being combined. The charge for 2023-24 had risen to £350 and again in 2024-25 to £384.

A letter sent to residents by FirstPort said the firm had carried out a review and because of a discovered shortfall and historic billing errors it was increasing the total estate service charge for 2025 from £34,582 to £73,910.

The resident said they were promised a “full and clear invoice” setting out in more detail why the bill was rising by almost £30,000 but “there has been no consistent information or clarity provided".

In response to the criticism, FirstPort rejected the notion it had hiked prices by hundreds of pounds. However, the company admitted there were delays with issuing the 2023-24 service charge, which was then sent out alongside the service charge for 2024-25.

There was also a deficit which meant homeowners in “phase 1” of the development were charged an additional £74.80. Meanwhile, extra funds were needed as the ground maintenance costs rose as a result of the planned expansion of the estate by another 70 homes.

A spokesperson for FirstPort said: “While the service charge is carefully budgeted each year to cover the expected maintenance costs, there has been an increase in grounds maintenance costs due to the addition of newly managed areas within the estate, alongside a significant rise in overall costs for grounds maintenance, which was beyond our control.

“We will always do all we can to support homeowners, and we are working closely with the resident management company to ensure any outstanding matters are resolved before we cease management of the development at the end of the month.”

A spokesperson for Anderson added: “Faversham Lakes has become an established and well-regarded part of the town and there is a real sense of community, embodied by its residents’ association.

“At the request of the association, Anderson has elected to intervene and take on the estate management and maintenance roles directly.”

Faversham MP Helen Whately praised residents for “taking control”.

“In recent years I've heard from lots of constituents about unfair management charges and poor services,” the Conservative said.

How easy is it to get rid of property management companies?

This is not the first time residents of new-build estates in Kent have complained about property management companies - but it is a rare occasion where a firm has been given the boot.

We previously reported how people living at Ashford’s huge Finberry Village development were angry at their fees rising by £700 a year, despite rubbish piling up.

But like thousands of other freeholders on similar estates across the county, the homeowners have limited legal recourse to challenge the rising management charges.

However, this could be changing soon. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 will strengthen residents' rights, enabling them to challenge unreasonable estate charges and the standard of work through a tribunal.

It will also require greater transparency when it comes to management fees.

Conservative Ms Whately said: “I campaigned for change and the previous government took action.

“The aim was to fix the power imbalance between residents and management companies.”

Although the act has received royal assent, the majority of the provisions are not yet in force and will need to be commenced through secondary legislation. The Labour government has said it intends to consult on the details in 2025 and “bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter”.

Companies like FirstPort (and HML at Finberry) are drafted in by developers when a housing estate is built but the council does not fully adopt responsibility for the land.

During the planning process, it is decided which communal areas - such as lighting, drains, roads and green spaces - will be managed by the council and which require external aid.

The latter are funded through service charges paid by residents of the estate - on top of their council tax.

FirstPort, which also has the contract for the Shorncliffe Heights development in Folkestone, has faced criticism nationally.

In December, MPs told how some residents were being charged £150 for light bulbs that had never been fitted, with others charged hundreds of pounds for replacement letterboxes.

There are also increasing numbers of vocal opponents on social media, with the FirstPort Residents Action Group on Facebook boasting more than 10,000 members.