Richlist

Most of us know developments that look run down, scruffy, lacking in maintenance, require a coat of paint/ hedges trimmed/ trees cut back etc etc. My experience is that in the main, low service charges = low maintenance. This in turn negatively affects property values. Don't get hung up on saving a couple of hundred pounds from your service charge account. The money will often be more than compensated for in property values. ........and before anybody complains, there are always going to be a few exceptions to the rules.

My lowest service charge is £678 pa but its only that low because the managing agents allow the residents association to handle day to repairs & maintenance. If I were the op I certainly wouldn't be rocking the boat.

I agree with all that's been said. One additional factor to keep in mind.......people buy freeholds in order to make a profit and they are entitled to make a return on their investment. If all the charges are legitimate then £500 management charge is incredibly low. Just think about it......paper, postage, telephone, printer ink, time, effort, travel etc. The total charges equate to £710 per flat or £59 per month. Some of my flats are £1200-£1500 pa You have no reserve funds for emergency repairs or external redecorating. What about buildings insurance ? .......and you cannot expect to be provided with the receipts and invoices. You are only entitled to view them but not to have them sent to you or for you to take them away. She will be entitled to charge you for copies etc.

No, not in my experience. You have rights and obligations associated with service charges. In brief...... 1. A summary of those rights and obligations for variable charges must by law, accompany a demand for service charges. If there is no summary of your rights and obligations you may withhold the service charge. 2. You have the right, within 6 months of receiving a written summary of costs, to require the landlord to provide you with reasonable facilities to inspect the accounts, receipts and other documents supporting the summary and for taking copies or extracts from them. 3. You have the right to ask an accountant or surveyor to carry out an audit of the financial management of the premises. Hope that helps.

Good heavens Sammy this is an 8 year old thread. I have never changed locks when tenants leave and have never had a problem, neither do I expect to get a problem. There are other far more important things to concern yourself with.

Water softness are not common in rental property, this is the first time I have ever heard of one in a rental. Because of that, the fact that it wasn't mentioned to prospective tenants and it's going to cost £20 per month I think the landlord should not only foot the bill for the salt but also arrange for it to be regularly topped up. Your tenant didn't know about it and doesn't want it. If you want it used....presumably because it's a benefit to you/ the property,.....then you should be the one who puts themselves out. Learn from the situation and make sure tenants know about it next time.

Refering to your road as The Close suggests a cul de sac / no through road. Mine is the same. What happens occasionally is that people realise they have taken the wrong road and reverse up any drive in order to turn around........perhaps this is what has happened in your case. Good luck with sorting it out

1: I have photos (taken by agent) That clearly show the box was driven into most probably reversed. On one of the photo's it shows damage to the garage door, most certainly caused at the same time. Neighbour tells me they have two vehicles car and van and as she sees it they must have been reversed into. Its quite difficult without pictures to comment in detail so I can only give you my experiences of this.... When I returned from vacation a couple of years ago, whilst I had been away a vehicle had driven across my front lawn causing some fairly deep tracks (so it must have been heavy). Nobody saw anything so it was one of those things and the gardener just filled it & repaired it (at my cost). Is it possible something similar has happened here.....could someone have been using the drive to turn around ? * Pictures don't show the box was driven into, they only show the box was OK & that its now damaged. * The neighbour didn't see anything......the rest is guesswork on their part. * Having X2 vehicles doesn't mean they drove into the box. But, your tenants are responsible for looking after your property and if damage is caused to it.....which is clear in this case (gas box + garage door) its entirely reasonable to expect them to report this to i) the police ii) your agents. Seems they haven't done either of these......why not ? It rather suggests they don't understand their responsibilities....... In your shoes I might be thinking that its time for them to depart.

I am ALWAYS very carefull to ensure keys to everything, including meters boxes are supplied by me AND signed for by my tenants on the inventory on moving in day. I have a large box of spares so lost keys are never an issue for me. Its worth remembering that ALL except very simple repairs are the landlords responsibility ie the landlord MUST make the repair, at his cost if necessary and in a timely manner.....more so if it is considered a safety issue and I assume an exposed gas meter might be a safety issue. What is being questioned here is who is ultimately liable for the cost. I don't know if you could argue that damage to the box by persons unknown, just like a smashed window, should require the tenant to report the matter to the police and obtain a crime number.......what do others think ? No police report and no number would help guide any finger pointing would it not ?

If your tenants deny all knowledge of who or what damaged the box you cannot assume it was them and your tenants are not responsible for vandalism. In your shoes I'dwork my way thru the following list 1. Intially try to find out what & why it happened....ask the plumber, the agent and if necessary the tenant....and perhaps the immediate neighbours. 2. Ask the gas people to replace it 3. Try to claim on your insurance. 4. Pay for the repairs yourself. We have a similar situation with some of my properties with external electric meter boxes. The doors are left open and the wind then catches them and breaks them off. Its £70+ for a relacement but you can never find a tenant who will admit to the deed.....its always someone else or the meter reader man. The electric company refuse to pay cos they deny it was them. I know for sure it wasn't me but I'm the one who pays if I want it replaced. Welcome to the weird world of the landlord.

1. Whats wrong with talking to local agents ?......you should be able to negotiate an attractive deal if they either market all 7 individually or market as one lot. You may struggle if you don't sell with vacant possession 2. You could approach local property auction houses for advice and costs......they are experienced with selling with sitting tenants. 3. Is there an opportunity to offer them for sale to the sitting tenants ? 4. Lots of web sites exist where you can advertise privately. I've seen portfolios sold as one lot but often that needs a significant discount or you wait around a long time for a specialist buyer. Don't forget that selling all 7 in one tax year is likely to incur a hefty capital gains tax bill.......either 18% or 28% depending on profits & other income. If they are going cheap I'm happy to rob you .....just send me a private message.