Leasehold Flat -probs with management company -who do I complain too?

MrPayless

I live in a 2 bed leasehold flat and pay ground rent to the leaseholder -they are a big company with lots of new builds.

I have a big problem with them as every other week, the lighting in the hallway stops working - it must be a faulty connection as it stops a day or so after they fix it. My ground rent pays to cover this so the leaseholder is responsible for such maintenance.

This has been going on for a year now and Im getting sick of ringing them. Worse still , I have to navigate my way in and out of the complex in the dark which bothers me (the other tenants dont seem to care!!) I keep telling them that its dangerous but they dont rush to fix it - its been off for a week now!

Is there a body I can complain to who will make them take note?

Bothered!

PJD

Well, you could complain to the manager of the particular branch, or maybe if it's a chain, then someone even higer?

Consider though, that when you decide to sell, the solicitors will ask "Have you received any complaints from the landlord, any other landlord, management company or any other occupier about anything you have or have not done?"

And,

"Have you complained or had cause for complaint to or about any of them?".

MrPayless

Ive just been on their website and found something called ARMA -Assoc of Residential Managing Agents - Ive emailed them let see what they say!

aloiseb

I know from experience it can be really difficult to find out who you should speak to - I have had a nightmare managing agent in the past, and the freeholders just weren't interested....

Anyway, as you are worried that the situation is potentially dangerous, you could maybe point this out in writing, in a non-threatening way of course - e.g. "I am worried that an accident might be caused by the lights not working in the stairwell. Although [Blah and Blah] have been in to change the bulbs several times in the last few months, the lights stop working again after only a couple of days and it seems as if the problem may be elsewhere. Please could you let me know what action you are planning to take, and when, to remedy this situation?" If there is no reply, send a copy of the letter to the freeholders - just in case they have changed managing company and not told you, or some other mix-up has happened. I should think they would want to know. (Also if anybody does hurt themselves due to the lights being out, they can't then say that they didn't know....)

As to this being a "complaint", I don't see that this would be one. You are just putting your request in writing for the lighting situation to be sorted out. It would only become a "complaint" if they all go on ignoring the situation and you feel then that you have to complain about their attitude. Hopefully putting it in writing will make them shape up.

If not, can I suggest you form a resident's committee, as you will benefit from each other's support? i think you may be able to buy the freehold these days too, if enough of you want to, though I don't know how this works - CAB or somebody probably would. Good luck!

david29dpo

you pay the ground rent to the freeholder, not the leaseholder. do you pay a maintenance charge as well has the ground rent?

MrPayless

i pay rent to the mananging company only - that included water rates, buildings insurance and maintainence

sainthalo

it sounds like a maintenance charge not ground rent. GR is paid to someone who owns the actual ground on which your property is situated not to do with maintenance.