FAQ's

Does our building need a Property Manager?

Answer:-  Not all properties have a managing agent, although the majority do. In practice, most properties that do not have a managing agent fail to comply fully with legislative requirements which can prove to be costly.  Leasehold management is a highly regulated industry and a professional managing agent will see that your building is managed in accordance with all legislation.

The professional Property Manager will deal with buildings insurance (please see further point), ensure that basic services are in place, such as cleaning, gardening, window cleaning, lift maintenance etc.  They will ensure that regular inspections take place and that the accounts are maintained strictly in accordance with the statutory trust legislation. 

How often is my property inspected?

Answer:-  In simple terms, as often as is required!  Our contract differs between clients, however we are keen to listen to our clients requirements and work together in ensuring their needs are met. 

What does my service charge cover?

Answer:-  Your service charge covers those elements that are contained within your lease as the communal costs for your property.  This may include items such as communal cleaning, window cleaning, landscape maintenance/gardening, as well as internal and/or external painting.
 
Your service charge will also include a multitude of items which are not readily apparent such as the lift maintenance (if installed), lift engineering insurance, or the emergency lift telephone line, if fitted.  There may be communal and external electricity costs, not only covering issues such as lighting but also water or sewage pumps as well as lifts.  If you are a resident in a block where the management is undertaken by a Resident Management Company (RMC) your costs will include the statutory requirements of that Company such as Company Secretariat fees, Annual Return Fee and the fee for compiling both the statutory and service charge accounts.  Please also see the section with regard to insurances.

How can I pay my service charge?

Answer:-  All Labyrinth’s applications for payment are on pre-printed paper giving a variety of options for payment.  If our clients, usually the RMC, allow it, Labyrinth offer the facility of payment by monthly standing order.  Labyrinth  do not make any additional charges for this facility.  In addition, payments can be made by cheque payable to Labyrinth Properties Limited Client Account, or by electronic transfer, details of which are …….. (check with Fiona).  Furthermore Labyrinth will accept payment by telephone during normal working hours by either credit or debit card.  Again, details are on the application for payment. 

Can I trust Labyrinth Properties Limited with my service charge?

Answer:-  Unlike many Managing Agents, Labyrinth Properties Limited are Chartered Surveyors as well as being Corporate Members of the Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA).  As Chartered Surveyors, our client accounts are bonded so your service charge funds are completely safe. 
Furthermore, as Chartered Surveyors Labyrinth Properties Limited need to have an external audit to verify the funds we hold on behalf of our clients and documentation from that independent audit is supplied not only to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) but it is also supplied to ARMA. 

What do I do in the event of an emergency?

Answer:-  This would depend upon whether or not your RMC subscribes to our Emergency Assistance Insurance cover, in which case all Leaseholders will have been provided with a 24 hour telephone number to report all emergency calls. If this insurance is not subscribed to then it would depend upon the extent of our agreement with you.  If we provide out of hours cover you would simply call your local office and follow the guidance given on the recorded message.

Can you control tenants in my block?

Answer:-  Many flat owners refer to tenants as meaning sub-tenants because they are occupying flats under assured shorthold tenancy agreements from the original long leaseholder.  Whilst in practice many sub-tenants are no issue whatsoever, in a number of properties the level of sub-tenancy has caused problems to many owner/occupiers. 

Ultimately Labyrinth can only take action when requested by their client, usually the RMC, and this action can only take place in accordance with the individual lease terms. 

What insurances, apart from the building, does my service charge   and/or my lease dictate I pay for?

Answer:-  As well as the building fabric insurance there will also be the need to cover public liability insurance for communal areas, both internally for your block as well as externally. 
Depending on your lease terms, insurance may also be required for the employees of the RMC through Employers Liability Insurance and this will include your non-paid Directors of that Company. 

Following changes in the provisions of insurance facilities in this country, terrorism cover may be an additional premium to your buildings insurance cover. 

The Landlords’ Contents Policy covering issues within the communal areas would also be additional to your buildings contents policy.

In the event the landlord of your block is your own RMC, specific policies may be required associated with Directors and Officers Liability Insurance and Legal Expenses Insurance. 
Any plant and equipment within your building may require specific engineering insurance such as lifts and pumps.

Can you please explain my lease and what living in a leasehold property actually means?

Answer:-  Of course we can explain your lease but you need to have at least a few hours to spare! 

All leases are different and very unique to the properties to which they pertain.  In essence, your lease is a legally binding contract between you as a lessee and your landlord (the lessor). 

Many of our clients have a tripartite lease naming the Resident Management Company within it.  We act as Property Managers usually on behalf of that Resident Management Company.  Set out within the lease are your own obligations as tenant as well as those obligations on behalf of the landlord and/or the Management Company (this is not Labyrinth Properties). 
Your lease will also set out what services are supplied under the obligations and will provide details of your service charge year and liability for payments. 

As a leaseholder, shouldn’t I be consulted more?

Answer:-  You are quite right that as a lessee in a communal block of flats, you have various rights with regard to consultation.  These are laid down by statute and Labyrinth are pleased to follow these, most notably the requirements to consult with regard to substantial items of expenditure or long term agreements laid down by Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act. 

In addition, ground rent is now demanded in accordance with Section 166 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002.  Labyrinth Properties are well aware that a great deal of this additional information and consultation is deemed by some clients to be unnecessary levels of bureaucracy, however we are keen to see that we comply with these legal requirements so as to put our clients’ minds at rest. 

Do Labyrinth Properties train their staff?

Answer:-  Labyrinth pride themselves on spending a substantial amount of money annually on staff training.  They have a Chartered Building Surveying division, Edgar Horn, and are currently training three Chartered Building Surveyors in accordance with the RICS code of practice.

Labyrinth’s Property Managers are encouraged to pursue the Institute of Residential Property Managers examinations and to date our Company have successfully put through no fewer than 11 candidates in this examination. 
Our accountancy staff are trained to either AAT or ACCA standard and indeed our accountancy team are headed up by a Fellow of the Chartered Certified Accountants and an Associate of the Chartered Certified Accountants. 

Finally, so keen are Labyrinth to maintain our professional standards, the Company have voluntarily complied with the Financial Services Authority requirements when it comes to the placement of buildings insurance and have seen the insurance team, who trade as Rorke Insurance Services Limited, become fully compliant with the FSA regulations, an additional level of bureaucracy over and above that required by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. 

How do I become a Director of my Resident Management Company?

Answer:-  We would organise Annual General Meetings (AGM) for each of our RMC clients and the position of Director is subject to the individual Memorandum and Articles of Association.  These positions can be quite onerous and with few exceptions our clients undertake these roles without so much as recovering their out of pocket expenses let alone receiving any form of remuneration for this task.  Because of the personal liability that can be attached, we recommend to our clients they place Directors and Officers liability insurance (please see the attached documentation) and also consider the requirement of legal expenses insurance to protect any potential claim in a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal (LVT).

Labyrinth Properties are not doing their job, how do I complain?

Answer:-  Please see attached copy of our complaints handling procedure.  As Chartered Surveyors we require such a procedure for our clients, in most instances this is the Resident Management Company.  However, Labyrinth Properties Limited go further and supply a complaints handling procedure for any individual lessee and a copy of that is attached.

I am generally happy with the management but do have a fault to report.?

Answer:-  Thank you!  Good quality property management is dependent upon a flow of information from both parties and Labyrinth cannot place personnel on site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, checking for individual faults in the building.  Indeed, if we did so, none of our clients could afford our realistic management fees!   Accordingly, if you have a fault to report, please telephone or email the individual Property Manager for your block.  Contained in this website are details of every block and your appointed Manager and their contact details.  If you have any doubt at all, please contact your local branch office. 

I want to sell my property?

Answer:-  In simple terms, first of all please contact your solicitor!  If you explain you are in either a leasehold property or a freehold house which has an service charge and/or estate charge liability, then your solicitor will contact our offices on your behalf after you have supplied them with our name and address.  Depending on the enquiries made and documentation requested, we do make a scale charge which is commensurate with other Managing Agents in the market place.