What can i do about poor management company and noisy chiming clock?

cashbackproblems

Hi

I bought a private leasehold flat recently with a management company who are quite poor, there have been a number of repairs due in the block e.g. rotting/window falling off, damage to the entrance tiles, main door not locking etc, I have for the last 6 months highlighted these repairs required many times and been told they would do so but nothing has been done. Speaking to other residents some of these things have been ongoing for years. Is there anything else I can do or say to then to sort this out as we all pay service charges and the management contract covers all this?

Secondly someone in the block has a chiming/striking (?) clock, which rings every 30min/1hour and it a nuisance, each ring is a loud 5/6 bells up to midnight, after which is rings once every hour – is this allowed? I don’t know which flat the clock is in, my local council have a process for reporting noisy neighbours but without knowing the flat what can I do?

Thanks

Norman_Castle

https://www.lease-advice.org/

Ask your neighbours about the clock. It may bother other people. When you find out who it belongs to explain the noise bothers you. It becomes a noise complaint if they fail to stop.

G_M

It must be possible to identify the flat by standing outside each door in turn.

Then speak to the owner. Invite them to tea (to discuss the repairs?), bake a cake, and then mention the clock.

If other owners are also fed up with the management company, take over the maintenance yourselves.

Can we exercise the right to manage (RTM)?

How do we start the RTM process?

If we exercise RTM, do we have to manage the building ourselves?

Do we need to setup a company?

Can I ask the landlord to provide the names of the other leaseholders so that I can invite them to participate in the RTM process?

AdrianC

cashbackproblems wrote: »

I bought a private leasehold flat recently with a management company who are quite poor, there have been a number of repairs due in the block e.g. rotting/window falling off, damage to the entrance tiles, main door not locking etc

These issues would have been very visible at the time you bought the flat, right?

Secondly someone in the block has a chiming/striking (?) clock, which rings every 30min/1hour and it a nuisance, each ring is a loud 5/6 bells up to midnight, after which is rings once every hour – is this allowed?

Unless this is some ridiculous full-scale replica of Big Ben chiming away, I'm not entirely sure living in a flat is really for you.

cashbackproblems

AdrianC wrote: »

These issues would have been very visible at the time you bought the flat, right?

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Unless this is some ridiculous full-scale replica of Big Ben chiming away, I'm not entirely sure living in a flat is really for you.

Yes but the issues have been promised to be resolved and haven't. This is what the service charge is being paid for.


the noise is not big ben but still a nuisance and im sure in breach of the noise pollution rules which prohibit noise after certain times. Just need to figure out the flat, have complained to the management company.

IAmWales

How about you get together with the other residents and sort the repairs yourself? Anything you get the management company to do will be in addition to what you're already paying, and at a hefty premium compared to what you would pay if you sort it yourself.

(In agreement with RTM, but if OP doesn't want to do that my suggestion is a middle ground.)

eddddy

cashbackproblems wrote: »

Yes but the issues have been promised to be resolved and haven't.

If you've got to the point that you want to start taking legal action, see: https://www.lease-advice.org/article/housing-disrepair-protocol/

You can also book a 15 minute session with LEASE for free advice: https://clients.lease-advice.org/appointments.aspx

cashbackproblems wrote: »

This is what the service charge is being paid for.

Just to clarify - you and the other leaseholders will be responsible for the cost of repairs. The freeholder should arrange them, but you will have to pay for them.

(Although there may be a sinking fund which has accumulated.)

eddddy

IAmWales wrote: »

How about you get together with the other residents and sort the repairs yourself?

Repairing somebody else's property without their consent could be a bit risky.

(It would be similar to me replacing your front door and tiles without your consent. You might not like my handiwork and tell me to put them back how they were, or say that I had damaged something.)

If the freeholder gave consent for the leaseholders to do repairs, it would be safer.



But even then - the OP has absolutely no legal basis for getting other leaseholders to agree and pay for the work.

It might be easier to enforce a legal duty on one freeholder...

... than to get a random bunch of 4, 6, 10 (?) leaseholders to volunteer to put some money into a pot.

davidmcn

cashbackproblems wrote: »

the noise is not big ben but still a nuisance and im sure in breach of the noise pollution rules which prohibit noise after certain times. Just need to figure out the flat, have complained to the management company.

If you haven't figured out which flat it is, why do you think the management company will be any more able to do so? And is it within their remit to do anything about it anyway?

ProDave

Re the clock, that's a pitfall of being attached to other properties. If you want silence, buy a detached house. It's not just a flat issue, I had a semi detached previously and I could hear next doors clock. Just as I could hear if next door slammed a door or had their hifi on too loud. Just part of being attached to another property.

I could also hear the church clock chime and that was 100 metres away. I suspect the council would laugh if I had tried reporting that as "noise nuisance"

I like a chiming clock myself, I have a grandfather clock. Look on the bright side, you have one of the advantages of a chiming clock without having to spend any money.

m0bov

Might be worth getting the neighbours together and drawing up an action plan. Once the agents know you are organised and know your rights they might act. Which company is it?

Def worth getting some free advice and look into RTM, but you will need the support of other leaseholders.

You could also speak to the council/h&s if there is a security or trip hazard etc..