Leasehold Flat - just received a Bill for £2000 to replace Door entry System.

Gecco

Our housing association want's to change the door entry systems in the block of flats where I live & is charging all leaseholders £2000 for it.

Is there any chance to refuse having this work done ?

Our door entry System altough dated works fine & there are more important things they should fix before installing a new door entry system.

In the block of flats live about 40 tenants - half of them are council tenants & don't have to pay the £2000.

Thanks for your help in advance.

lesandflynny

Do you have tenant meetings, do you get a say in repair needs etc.

First off you want to delay the process, Contact other tenants who have receieved the letter, urgently, and collate a collective letter from all of you saying this is simply unfair, inappropriate according to other priorities and obviously very over priced. Get the benefit tenants onside too, if they support you saying it is unfair, not a priority and too costly it will at least delay whilst you get proper legal advice. Log a formal complaint, this in itself will take weeks for them to deal with and buys you time.

You need to contact somebody legal who specialises in housing law, your CAB or Shelter will give you detail.

I would imagine an expert would request the full cost of the works, ask if it has been tendered (required by law over a certain amount of money) check all addittional costs etc and find something to challenge them upon. Equally, I suspect your rent has an element for repairs and renewals and if it does then they could be breaching their contract with you.

Good luck keep us posted

Gecco

Hello.

Thanks for the quick reply.

I already spoke to them on the phone & they said that they had too many complaints from the council tenants about the door entry systems & the costs to maintain the systems are too high.

They also said that more than have the tenants have to object to the proposed work otherwise it will go like planned.

I know of at least 10 people whoi already sent a letter to them refusing to pay £2000.

JennyW_2

Gecco wrote:

Our housing association want's to change the door entry systems in the block of flats where I live & is charging all leaseholders £2000 for it.

Is there any chance to refuse having this work done ?

Our door entry System altough dated works fine & there are more important things they should fix before installing a new door entry system.

In the block of flats live about 40 tenants - half of them are council tenants & don't have to pay the £2000.

Thanks for your help in advance.

2000 from each leaseholder? That's an expensive door entry system :eek:

tomstickland

Have they done the work yet?
Did they send consultation letters with quotes for the work?
Read up on the consultation process at lease-advice.org
You are allowed to provide your own quotes.

Gecco

We received the consultation letter.

It has 2 quotes on it.

They propose to start the work in 4 Weeks.

irnbru_2

Gecco wrote:

It has 2 quotes on it.

40 * £2000 = £80000

How much was the second quote?

In essence, the council is your factor. Half of their clients want it and half don't. You need to organise the half that don't.

Are you charged for repairs to the existing entry system?

Gecco

The second quote is ~£86000

No we're not charged for current repairs as that is included in the service charges.

They told me they had about 7 complaints or so about the current door entry system.

Obviously the council tenants want the new door system as they don't have to pay anything...

Our door entry System works absolutely fine so I don't see how they can justify putting this expensive system in place & charging us £2000.

tomstickland

Read up on lease-advice.org
http://www.lease-advice.org/councils20main.htm

clutton_2

ask them if their insurers are insisting on the new security system

prudryden

Just to keep them honest, get a couple of quotes yourself. Not saying your Housing Association does this, but sometimes competing quotes can be from the same people just under a different name.