Residential Block Management FAQs.

Building insurance covers permanent fixtures of the property, including the structure (roof, walls, floors, ceilings) and bathroom fittings. Contents insurance covers personal effects and possessions. Building insurance will not cover you if a problem in your property leads to damage in another property and then a claim is made against you.

It is recommended that you do take out contents insurance in order to cover your personal possessions, especially if you have items that would be difficult or impossible to replace.

If consequential damage occurs within the building (except theft or damage to personal effects) then we will support you in making a claim against the building’s insurance policy. Please contact us by phone or email and we can advise you on the process. Working with skilled brokers and loss adjusters enables claims to be reviewed and processed in a timely manner.

All of the maintenance and service contractors we engage must pass our Contractor Accreditation Process before beginning any work. As part of this, we require that they provide:

• A satisfactorily completed application form
• Proof of suitable Public Liability insurance
• Risk Assessments & Method Statements
• Health and Safety Policy
• Trade body qualification certificates
• VAT certificate (if applicable)

All contractors are regularly audited which ensures that all documentation remains up to date and relevant for the service they provide.

Firstly, it’s worth checking the terms of your lease, particularly if the problem relates to noise, pets, parking, decoration, communal spaces or other day-to-day things. There might be a specific clause in the lease that relates to the issue, so it’s worth being clear on the facts.

Good communication is often the simple key to avoiding a nasty neighbourly dispute, so if it’s safe to do so you can try and have a friendly chat with the resident in question to explain what is bothering you.  Often people aren’t aware they’re causing a nuisance. However, if you don’t feel this is possible, or the resident in question is showing any signs of aggressive, dangerous or illegal behaviour, then please seek professional help.

For more info about dealing with neighbour disputes, click here.

You can also call the police and/or the local authorities if the issue is serious, ongoing or threatens your health and safety or that of other residents.

It is a requirement under section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (as amended by S151 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002) that a process of consultation must be followed if there are works to be carried out that may cost any one flat more than £250.00.  This is a either two or three stage process.

The first part involves the managing agent sending a Notice of Intention on behalf of the landlord, which informs the contributing lessees of the works that need to be done and gives them 30 days to put forward any comments they have.  They also have the opportunity to put forward a contractor for consideration.

The second part involves the managing agent sending a Statement of Estimates which sets out the quotations obtained and gives the lessees a further 30 days to consider the quotes and submit comments.

A third notice is required only if the landlord places a contract with a contractor that neither submitted the lowest estimate nor was nominated by a leaseholder.

If you require more information on the Section 20 process, you can consult the ARMA or Leasehold Advisory Service website, or you can contact us.

It is preferable that a breach doesn’t happen at all, so we aim to prevent any situation where it could by making information about covenants and restrictions available to the leaseholders on our online interactive portal and highlighting key items on the noticeboards in the lobby of the building. If a breach does occur, the first thing we would do is to contact the leaseholder to discuss the situation, as most breaches are the result of a mistake or misunderstanding rather than malicious intent.

This would be followed by presenting, in writing, details outlining the breach and how it should be rectified.  If this isn’t done, then a Letter Before Action would be issued to advise that legal action will be taken if the breach is not remedied. If the leaseholder continues to fail to remedy the breach, then we will engage one of the firms of solicitors we work with that specialise in Landlord & Tenant litigation.

A property held on a long lease is a depreciating asset because it will reduce in value as the remaining term of the lease decreases.

You may be entitled to a lease extension which would extend the term of your lease and so increase the underlying value of the property. There are two ways that this can be achieved; statutory lease extension or voluntary lease extension.

If you have owned your property for at least two years then you have a statutory right to extend your lease.  The right is to add 90 years to what is left on the existing lease at a ‘peppercorn rent’ which means that no ground rent is paid. For example, if the present lease had 60 years left to run, the new extended lease would be for 150 years.

Extending your lease can be a long and complicated process and it’s important to get expert advice.  Consider appointing a solicitor who specialises in lease extensions and who is a member of ALEP, the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners.