Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, non-compliance is one of the most common reasons clients come to us, whether that relates to outstanding fire risk assessments, missing health and safety documentation, service charge accounting issues or lease breaches. We will carry out an initial review of your block, identify the gaps and put a structured remediation plan in place to bring you back into full compliance.

Block management is the professional management of a residential or mixed-use block on behalf of the freeholder, developer, Right to Manage company or Residents Management Company. A managing agent is appointed to oversee the day-to-day running of the building, including maintenance, financial management, compliance, insurance and leaseholder communication, ensuring the block is run in accordance with the lease and relevant legislation.

Maintenance issues can be reported through the Dwellant platform, by telephone or by email and are managed by our team and contractor network. Emergency cover is available around the clock so that urgent issues are dealt with promptly and without delay.

Yes, in addition to residential blocks and estates, we manage mixed-use buildings and small commercial properties across Berkshire, applying the same structured, Proptech-driven approach to financial control, maintenance and compliance.

A Residents Management Company (RMC) is a company set up to take responsibility for the management of a residential block, either established by the developer at the outset or formed by leaseholders who have collectively acquired the freehold. The RMC is responsible for providing the services set out in the lease, including buildings insurance, communal cleaning, maintenance and repairs. Leaseholders within the block are typically members of the RMC, and a board of directors is elected to make decisions on behalf of the membership, including the appointment of a managing agent.

RMC directors have both statutory duties under the Companies Act and fiduciary duties to the members they represent. They are responsible for setting the service charge budget, selecting and overseeing service providers, approving the annual accounts and ensuring the block is managed in accordance with the lease and all relevant legislation. Directors are elected by the membership and can be removed or replaced by a majority vote. Further guidance on the role of a company director is available from the Companies House website.

Our sweet spot is blocks of 10 to 60 units across Berkshire, where we can deliver a genuinely personalised and responsive service. If your block falls outside this range, please get in touch and we will be happy to discuss whether we are the right fit for your requirements.

We manage blocks across the Greater Reading area, including Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell, Newbury, Wallingford, Hook, Camberley, Fleet, Basingstoke and the surrounding areas. If you are unsure whether your block falls within our coverage area, please contact us and we will confirm.

A service charge is the contribution that leaseholders make towards the costs of maintaining and managing their building. These costs typically include buildings insurance, communal cleaning, grounds maintenance, repairs, management fees and contributions to a reserve fund. Service charges must be reasonable and properly incurred under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, and leaseholders have the right to request a summary of costs and inspect supporting invoices.

A reserve fund is money set aside each year to cover major future expenditure such as roof replacement, external redecoration or lift refurbishment. A well-managed reserve fund avoids the need for large one-off demands to leaseholders when significant works are required. We review reserve fund levels as part of our annual budgeting process and recommend contributions that are appropriate to the age and condition of each building.

A Section 20 consultation is a legal process required under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 before carrying out qualifying works or entering into a qualifying long-term agreement. 

For qualifying works, consultation is required where the contribution of any leaseholder exceeds £250. For qualifying long-term agreements, the threshold is lower at £100 per leaseholder in any 12-month accounting period. The consultation process for qualifying works involves three stages: a notice of intention, a notice of proposals and a notice of reasons. The process for qualifying long-term agreements follows a different and less extensive procedure. Failure to consult correctly limits the amount recoverable from leaseholders to £250 for qualifying works or £100 for qualifying long-term agreements, regardless of the actual cost incurred.

Where service charge arrears arise, we follow a structured debt collection process, beginning with formal written reminders and escalating through to legal action where necessary. All steps are taken in accordance with the lease and relevant legislation, and we keep directors informed throughout the process so that decisions on escalation are made with full information.

Dwellant is the Proptech platform through which we deliver real-time transparency to our clients and their leaseholders. Through Dwellant, you can access financial reports, maintenance updates, compliance records and key documents at any time, without having to request information from your managing agent by email or telephone.

Yes, leaseholders can report maintenance issues and access building information through the Dwellant platform, or contact us directly by telephone or email. We believe that clear and open communication with all residents, not just directors, is fundamental to well-managed blocks.

Switching managing agent is more straightforward than most boards expect. We manage the entire transition process, including issuing the required notice to your current agent, obtaining all handover documentation and ensuring continuity of service throughout. We will guide you through every step and ensure your residents experience no disruption during the changeover.