Should this work be covered the the Service Charge?

PJD

Block of flat's built in the 70s. One of our 1st floor flats resides over an archway (similar to a coachhouse style).
All the ground floor flats in this block do suffer from a bit of humidity. The flat over this archway is particularly bad. It has been identify that some of the beams underneath the property (the roof of the archway) have holes in and need repairing.

Given that this is the outside of the property, this cost will be happily met by the service charge. However, it has also been recommended that at the same time, new insulation should also be added to help negate the humidity problem.


This is where it gets confusing. This extra insulation is seen as an "improvement" rather than a "repair" or "maintanance", - and as it only benefits a single property, should it really come out of the service charge?

WestonDave

I suspect the additional cost of adding insulation as part of this work is pretty small (unless you know otherwise from an itemised quote) which suggests that either way it shouldn't be a big issue (either for that flat owner to pay or for it to be shared out). On the other hand if that owner is going to have to go through hassle for the sake of the structure that no-one else would have to go through then maybe a bit of generosity from the other residents that will benefit from their inconvenience might be fair?

bris

It doesn't just benefit the single property though does it, it's to prevent it happening again to the outside of the property, which would result in another repair and another service charge.


What you should try and argue is that the insulation should be a service charge because it's a preventive measure to stop damage to the building.

PJD

If the managing agents directors agree to the work, and then all the residents argue that it's an Improvement rather than a Repair, than the Directors will be liable for the cost.

The cost of the insulation over just the outside repair is about 70% of the cost (although only a single quote has been obtained).

I am not clear whether the insulation would stop future damage to the outside, but it would definitely help the humity problem inside the flat.

There is also another flat which is situated over an archway in the same block... so also, if this work was to be funded by the service charge, the other flat owner could demand the same Improvement work.