Tenants

As Block Managers, it is in our interest to maintain a healthy and personable relationship with Tenants, at the properties we manage. We appreciate, that for Tenants, it is a very personal position for them, being that it is their homes or businesses and costs have to be met from their own pockets or issues can effect their businesses. We fully understand this and make great efforts, to deal with all issues in an efficient and cost effective way. Communication is of prime importance to this end and our policy is to respond to communications, as quickly as possible. Emails should be replied to within 24 hours and outside of business hours, we have an emergency contact number, which provides 24/7 cover.

Each property we manage is inspected on a monthly basis and any issues observed are reported back to the office and 'tasks' are then set for the property to be resolved. We also receive reports from Tenants or the Landlord on issues, which again is set as a 'task' in our database, for us to follow up until resolved. From the 'tasks' list, we also create a plan of works for the year, in relation to the budget and discuss with the Tenants any works, that may create a variant to the budget.

One of the main misconceptions, that many Tenants have, is that their service charge payments are paid directly to us and that it is our money. Of course we charge a management fee within the service charge budget, for our own expenses, but service charges are the Tenants contribution, to the costs of maintenance and servicing of the property. These funds are held in the property's own bank account and are managed by us, on behalf of the Tenants, to pay contractors for services and repairs. We try to make his as transparent as possible. All the contractors we use, have no affiliation to us and we do not receive a commission from any contractor for the works they carry out.

End of Year Accounts are prepared by a 3rd party Accountant and submitted to all Tenants, detailing the actual expenditure throughout the year and an adjustment balance is calculated against the estimated budget that year. This can be a debit or credit balance. Where there is a credit balance, this is held over and set against the following years budget costs, reducing the Tenants charges. If a debit balance, the Tenants will be billed for the shortfall that year. If there are large variants, this will be discussed with the Tenants and agreed, as to whether the estimated budget should be adjusted or not. Reserve funds are kept separately from the service charge accounts and are held in savings accounts for each property. Reserve funds are not used unless authorised by the Tenants, mainly for major works.

The only additional fees we charge outside of our management fees, included in the service charge budget, is for extended out of hours attendance at properties, for management packs for the sale of properties and for managing major works to the property.

Our primary function, is to make sure each property is safe and to protect the investment of the Tenants and the Landlord, aside of individual interests.