Maintenance
As part of the lease agreement between the landlord (lessor) and leaseholder (lessee) the maintenance of the building and communal areas are to be managed and maintained by the residents’ management company, and paid for through an annual maintenance charge – which is sometimes referred to as the service charge.
The maintenance charge is payable by all leaseholders annually, quarterly, or monthly as preferred. Payment of this charge is a condition of the lease agreement and must be paid promptly. Failure to pay can result in late payment fees, legal fees and, ultimately, forfeiture of the property without compensation. Any arrears must be settled at the end of the lease or prior to a property sale.
Who determines the maintenance charge?
The lease agreement sets out what costs must be covered by the maintenance charge, it is then up to the management company to set a budget to ensure there are enough funds during the year to meet those costs.
The budget (and therefore the maintenance charge) is authorised by the directors of the management company – often with the assistance of a managing agent – and is calculated to cover all expected expenses for the forthcoming year, as well as a ‘reserve fund’ to cover the cost of unexpected expenses.
Notices of planned maintenance
Notices about planned maintenance, inspections. and regular servicing of communal facilities will be posted below.
Whenever possible, leaseholders will be notified in advance using their preferred method of communication (email, post etc.) should access to individual properties be required.
We always endeavour to give as much notice as possible of maintenance, ususally a minimum of 72 hours; however, in the case of emergency repairs, this isn’t always possible and we appreciate residents’ understanding and patience.
Expenses covered by the maintenance charge include such things as:
- Building Insurance
- Utilities – electricty and water / sewerage
- Lighting and emergency light testing
- Fire alarm system servicing and testing
- Lift servicing and maintenance
- Cleaning
- Managing agent’s fees
- Accounting and legal costs
- Safety inspections and assessments