Property Management Services

Without being a bah humbug with the run up to Christmas, its wise to keep in mind that burglary increases at this time of year. A combination of darker nights and the potential of gifts inside the property. Its a busy time of year but take a few moments to think of the security of your home.

Here are some tips to help keep your home safe this Christmas-

• If you are going away try and be discrete if possible, try not to share on social media or display suitcases outside your property whilst you pack the car.
• Timers are a good investment for your lights, giving the impression somebody is in.
• When living in apartments take care to shut communal doors after yourself not allowing non residents in.
• Make sure all windows and doors are locked. Don’t be more complacent being in an apartment.
• For fire safety and for disabled access nothing should be kept in communal areas anyway, another reason is so they are not targeted and stolen.
• Inside your property don’t keep valuable items on display where they can be seen from the outside.

When living in an apartment it’s important to consider those living around you.

If you are subject to noise nuisance it can become very stressful, you can lose sleep and feel frustrated in your home. If you are disturbed by a noisy neighbour make sure you politely speak to them regarding the noise, as they may not be aware they are making any. If you have spoken to your neighbour but the noise continues please feel free to contact us if we are your management company and if they let the property we could inform the landlord who may be able to help. If noise continues-keep a log of the days and times that you are being disturbed and contacting the local council environmental health department can also help.

Living in a leasehold property there will be certain terms of the lease which will help protect you from noise nuisance such as

-No noise after 11pm or before 7am

-No pets

-No instruments

Any one breaking the terms of their lease could be at risk of losing their home

Please all be considerate to each other for a nice environment to live

With November just around the corner here are some basic tips for helping to keep you and your home warm this winter, maybe even saving you money.

Sunlight-Our free form of heat. Even in the winter months the sun can help heat our homes. Make sure in the day the curtains are open to let in the heat to warm up your home.

Draughts-Its amazing how just small draughts can make a big difference to the temperature of your home. Check for gaps at the bottom of your doors, if there is a big gap having a draught excluder could make a big difference. Also check your letter box, if it doesn’t have a brush inside-again you could be losing heat.

Curtains-At dusk help keep that heat in with a nice thick pair of curtains. This will help prevent heat loss and could make a big difference.

Don’t block radiators-If large items of furniture are against your radiators they could be absorbing the heat. Look for possible room alterations to maximise the temperature.

Shut the door- Keep the doors shut for the rooms you are not using, keeping the heat in the room you do use.

Layer up-Find those extra thick jumpers, cosy slippers and blankets. Helps by keeping body heat in and protecting you from the chill.

Food and drink- Baking and cooking can help warm your home. A nice hot drink also helps.

Keep active-Exercise will heat the body up, even doing housework at a colder time of day will prevent you from feeling the chill.

We hope these simple tips help you stay warm this winter.

WE ARE A MEMBER OF ARMA WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT FACT AND HERE’S WHY….

It’s worth remembering that the residential leasehold sector is unregulated. Anyone can set up as managing agent and start collecting service charges without the relevant qualifications or experience.

ARMA vet all members before they join.  So you can be confident in using an ARMA agent like us because:

• They have the right professional experience: every member has to prove they have at least two years’ residential management experience

• Your service charge money is being held legally and safely: all members must demonstrate they hold service charge monies in trust as required by law

• The member has Professional Indemnity Insurance: this covers you against inadequate advice and negligence relating to a member

• Your agent is committed to and bound by professional standards: all ARMA agents must comply with the RICS Service Charge Residential Management Code. This defines best practice in the sector. If they do not follow the Code, they could be subject to disciplinary action

• If something goes wrong, you can get independent redress: all members must belong to an independent ombudsman scheme. What’s more, ARMA members are the only managing agents to be independently regulated. So if you do have a dispute, you can be confident it is being handled with integrity

We work with ARMA to make sure you get the highest standards for a clean and safe environment, giving you peace of mind and a happy place to live.

Are you a landlord? do you know who is in your property?

From December, private Landlords in the Midlands will face fines of up to £3,000 if they fail to carry out checks on their tenants, according to the Home Office.

The “Right to Rent” scheme is the first phase in a drive to create a hostile environment for illegal migrants in Britain and to deny them access to public services they are not entitled to.

The Home Office has released an official Code of Practice suggesting that everyone’s immigration status should be checked to avoid accusations of discrimination. (Immediate family members will be exempt).

Soon all Midland Landlords will be required to request evidence of a person’s identity and citizenship such as a passport. The Landlord will be required to obtain and retain a copy for a 12 month period after the tenancy ends. There are exemptions to this however for full details see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-rent-landlords-code-of-practice

Earlier in the year the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) conducted a study into the service provided by residential property management companies in England and Wales and have identified some concerns on how the market works.

As a result of the study it is the CMA’s intention to seek remedial action to improve the performance of the market and to provide leaseholders with a better outcome. The main issues that were highlighted were unnecessary or excessive charging for services, poor service quality, poor communication and insufficient transparency. At the moment we understand that the CMA are seeking possible remedies to the problems identified in order to develop recommendations for the industry.

Click here for more information

Did you know that there is an estimate of 2.8 million leasehold flats in England, according to the government.

Looking for a management company to look after them, contact us 01384 573 637 or email us info@kt-management.co.uk

It is that time of year again when we put the wheels in motion for the 2015 Service Charge Budgets. Our Property Managers are busy bees identifying items on site that will need attention over the next 12-18 months as well as getting in the final quotes, ready for our Budget Meetings.

Residents in apartments have a tendency to leave things in the communal areas, in particular hallways such as shoes and furniture. How often do you see residents in houses leaving their shoes, washing, bikes, prams, children toys and furniture on their front lawn for the public to see, let alone taking them?

Whilst communal areas are for the use residents; they are also a work place for contractors who keep the communal areas clean and tidy…. let alone visitors to the block, whether known or not. Read more

As of 1st January 2013 homeowners will be advised by any gas engineer that their gas boiler flue system is “at risk”, if a Gas Safe registered engineer is unable to inspect the flues especially if they are concealed and there isn’t an inspection hatch.

The reason behind this is to raise awareness of the potential dangers from certain types of flues and the risk of exposure to carbon monoxide (CO).

If you are not aware if this applies to you:

• Contact a Gas Safe registered engineer who last serviced your boiler who will advise you if your property is affected.
• If your boiler isn’t regularly serviced, it is advised that you arrange for a Gas Safe registered engineer to check your system out immediately.

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