If you live in any kind of building containing flats, you have rights and responsibilities, along with your co-owners, to maintain and manage common repairs in your building.
An owners’ association is a formal arrangement between the owners, complete with a constitution, and agreed rules and procedures. Having one in your building can make a big difference when…
Organising common repairs can be challenging. Download our decisions-tree guide to help you navigate the process and ensure you're following proper procedures. Download the decisions-tree guide Learn more about organising…
We recommend that you get a professional survey carried out on your building every five years. In between, take a proper look at the building yourself using this guide. If…
Download our Duty to Maintain template letter to inform your co-owner(s) of their legal duty to maintain the support and shelter of your building and inform them of necessary repairs.…
An example of what you might write on the Simple Procedure claim form. You can
Adapt this as appropriate for your own building. Download a copy of this sample constitution Owners' Association Sample Constitution Model Constitution of the XXXXXXX Association 1. Name The name of…
Obtaining formal consent from your co-owners is essential at key stages during the repairs process. It's also considered best practice to regularly update everyone on the progress of the repairs.…
A maintenance account serves as a dedicated account for funds earmarked for future repairs and maintenance. The account holds the float contributed by each owner, as well as any advance…
Use this downloadable checklist to note the key rules that apply to your building. If there is nothing on a particular topic in your title deeds, then you must use…
There are a number of defined occasions when you must allow access to your flat to allow for communal repairs and associated works. You must give access to your flat…
Acoustic engineers are trained in the study of sound and how it moves through different materials. Acoustic engineers can advise on how to deal with noise problems in your building…
The approach you take to dealing with antisocial behaviour will depend on the type of problems you are experiencing and your own confidence in dealing with people. You may feel more…
Before making any changes to your flat, whether that's 'improvements' or changes in use, you need to check your title deeds and check if you need to get any consents…
Your council, and any housing association or private landlord, should take measures against tenants who breach their tenancy conditions, which includes antisocial behaviour. The landlord should speak to their tenant,…
There is legal protection for owners who do not agree with majority decisions. The circumstances are relatively limited. If the decision has been made using the provisions of the Tenements…
Architects do not only design new buildings - many also have considerable experience in managing tenement repairs. They will also carry out building condition surveys and prepare maintenance plans. How…
Are you acting as a factor if you are a private landlord who arranges common repairs in blocks where you own a property? this guidance which was issued when the act…
If your property is Below Tolerable Standard (BTS), your house is classed as being unfit for human habitation. You may be able to get additional help to bring the property…
You need to have a written agreement with any trade firm before you finally accept a quote and work starts on the ground. For smaller jobs, under £1,000 or so,…
Building Reserve Funds (also known as Sinking Funds) are a type of fund set up to pay for repairs. Key points about Building Reserve Funds all owners pay in on…
While flats are good value for money and often close to many services, you need to check carefully what you are buying into. When buying a flat, you are buying…
Employed by the client in a construction project, the job of the clerk of works is to keep an eye on the building works. Employed by the client in a…
You are obliged by law to have adequate common insurance. This is to cover your share of the costs of major and expensive damage to your building. You need to…
Common repairs refers to the parts of the building for which all owners as a group are responsible for maintaining. Repairs for which all owners are responsible are conveniently called…
If you feel that establishing a property management agreement could improve the overall running of your block of flats or tenement and create a more harmonious living environment for residents,…
Community mediation is designed to help with neighbour problems. Both parties must be willing to take part. An independent mediator will listen to the views of both you and your…
Private Sector Housing, Planning, Environmental Health, and Building Control functions are generally spread across a number of service departments which vary from one council to another. Please note: the Private…
It's good practice to have a list of owners and their contact details, including email addresses and phone numbers, if possible. When making decisions, you should take all reasonable steps…
Your local council has legal powers to take action against noise and health hazards. Contact the Environmental Health, Antisocial Behaviour, or Community Safety Teams. The types of action that the council can…
Owners may feel aggrieved if one owner, their visitors, or tradespeople they have employed, have caused damage to the common property. Ideally, the owner concerned should pay for the damage,…
If you are suffering from noise caused by the everyday living activities of your neighbours, there are a number of things you can do to improve sound insulation. Noise caused…
If a Simple Procedure claim is made against you and you do nothing about it, the court will almost automatically grant an order against you. If you have a court…
When you need to speak to a neighbour, prepare yourself in advance. Be prepared first of all, get your facts in order, so you know what options are available to both…
Whether repairs to dormer windows are individual or common depends on when they were built. If dormer windows were built at the same time as the rest of the building,…
Every owner has a duty to maintain the parts of the tenement that provide support and shelter. This would apply to leaking roofs, rot in structural timbers, leaks around individual’s…
Some simple rules can help you to have a good meeting and keep owners coming back to finish business. You could circulate your meeting rules in advance. Take turns to…
Once you have a court judgement, if the debtor does not immediately pay up, you will need to enforce payment of the debt. Enforcing the decision At this stage, you…
There are a number of options for enforcing repairs that you can take yourself, some with legal help. There are other solutions that can only be implemented by your local…
Even if you live in a house rather than a flat, you may still have common responsibilities that apply to the housing estate around you. Problems may often occur on:…
