Communications and expectations - Managing Agents

A managing agent is responsible for a wide variety of aspects of block life, from ensuring essential maintenance is regularly carried out to a high standard at the best possible cost to residents, to making sure residents abide by leasehold regulations and are keeping their service charge payments up to date.
A good agent can also dramatically affect the value of a property within a block of flats, while at the same time a negligent agent can just as easily have an adverse influence on flat prices within a building.
Each agent should provide a bespoke service, tailored to suit each block’s needs and expectations. These should include:

Making sure the building is legal and conforms
to any necessary legislation;
1) Providing a value for money service;
2) Prepare a clear and transparent service charge budget;
3) Ensure, through regular inspections, the building is in good working order and that any repairs are carried out in a timely manner, and to a high standard;
4) Making sure all service charges are collected and accounts are kept up-to-date;
5) Company secretarial diaries.

As we’ve already heard, communication between residents and agent is vital. It is imperative that you build a strong working relationship and keep in regular contact with your managing agent. This relationship can work well as a twofold arrangement - where the residents are content in the knowledge their managing agent is only a phone call away should anything go wrong, while at the same time the agent can maintain standards and ensure payments are kept up to date much more effectively if they are on good terms with their residents.