Frequently Asked Questions

·           Why do I pay a Service Charge?

If you are a Leasehold property owner, your Lease will determine that you contribute towards the costs of maintaining the building and estate common parts.  This is called a Service Charge and the services provided will be determined in your Leasehold document.

If you are a Freehold property owner, you may have similar obligations contained within your TP1 document which may refer to the Freehold land owner of your estate.  These will be obligations to contribute to the management and maintenance of the common parts of the estate.

·           When should I pay my Service Charge?

Service Charges are normally payable in advance, and the frequency will be specified in your Lease or TP1 document.  Commonly Service Charges are paid annually or bi-annually in advance.

·           Can I pay in instalments?

This will be dependent upon the provisions contained within your Lease or TP1 document.  However if you envisage difficulties in meeting your Service Charge demand, then please contact our Accounts Department directly and we will endeavour to assist.

·           Why have I been sent a Section 166 Notice?

In order legally to collect Ground Rent, your Freeholder is required to provide you with a Section 166 Notice.  The notice is required to be sent in advance or to accompany your Ground Rent invoice and must be provided each time Ground Rent is charged.  Therefore if your Ground Rent is payable in two equal instalments on  1 January and 1 July each year, then you will receive a Section 166 Notice in advance of Ground Rent due on 1 January and in advance of Ground Rent due on 1 July each year.

·           Why do I pay Ground Rent?

If you own a Leasehold property you will often be required to pay Ground Rent to the Freeholder or Landlord.  The Ground Rent sum will be set out within your Lease alongside the frequency of payment, which is commonly annually or bi-annually in advance.

·           What is the difference between a Freehold Property and a Leasehold Property?

If you purchase a Freehold property, you will own the property and land upon which it is built.  There may however be a Freehold company which owns the estate areas such as communally maintained land, street lighting, play area and other facilities. 

If you buy a Leasehold property you are actually purchasing the right to live in a property for a set period of time.  This is called the ‘Lease Term’ and it is common to see Leases for 99, 125 or 999 years.  You will not actually own the structure of the building or the ground on which it is situated.  The majority of flats and apartments are Leasehold properties.

·           Why do I pay Buildings Insurance, I have my own policy?

Under the terms of most Leases, the Freeholder or Management Company has an obligation to insure the whole of the building.  This would not extend to your furnishings or the personal contents within your property.  Where your Bank or Building Society has required you to insure through them, you should obtain from our office a copy of the Buildings Insurance Summary and current Policy Schedule and provide this to your lender.

·           Someone has parked in my allocated parking bay, what can I do?

Regrettably we cannot protect a resident's individual parking space.  If any vehicle parks upon it, the only person who can take action is the Leaseholder who has the right to use the parking space.

·           I did not own my property for the period on the invoice; do I still have to pay?

As the current owner at the date a charge is levied, you are now liable for making the payment.  However upon purchasing your property your Solicitor may have made arrangements with the previous owner.  This is usually undertaken by way of a retention from the money due to the Vendor who sold the property to you.  You should check with your Solicitor as to what arrangements were made in this regard.

·           I have noise nuisance / noisy neighbours, what can I do?

Noise from music, televisions, party guests leaving a property can be very frustrating, in particular when these events occur late at night.  Persistent noise nuisances are best dealt with by your local Environmental Health Department which has the necessary powers to deal with the nuisance there and then, and their involvement usually provides a speedy resolution to the problem.

·           Can I erect a satellite dish?

The majority of Leases contain restrictive covenants either requiring written consent from the Lessor prior to the erection of a satellite dish, or prohibiting the erection of a satellite dish entirely.  At no time should individual satellite dishes be affixed to a building without seeking clarification from our office.

·         There is water entering my property from the apartment above, what should I do?

In the first instance you should make contact immediately with the occupant of the property above.  Often the resident may be unaware that there is a problem and a leak can be remedied very swiftly.  If you are unable to make contact with the property above, then please contact our office immediately and we will endeavour to make contact with the property owner.

Should there be any damage caused to your property as a result of water ingress from the neighbouring property, and you wish to make an insurance claim on the building's Block Insurance Policy, then please contact our office .