Frequently Asked Questions

Routine repairs and upkeep needed to keep the building safe, functional and presentable: communal lighting, door-entry systems, minor plumbing, locks, gutters, communal cleaning issues, small roof repairs and similar items. Major works and planned projects are dealt with separately.

Ideally, no. At the start of the management relationship we agree a sensible delegated spending limit. Below that figure, Callaways’ Block Management Services (BMS) can deal with routine matters without delaying the repair. Above it, we normally seek director approval unless the situation is genuinely urgent.

Protecting people and the building comes first. If there is an active leak, electrical danger, security problem or other genuine emergency, we arrange the immediate action necessary to make the situation safe and limit further damage, then update the directors.

We look at the consequences of doing nothing. Is there a safety risk? Could the building suffer further damage? Is security compromised? Are essential services affected? A flickering communal light and water pouring through a ceiling clearly require different responses.

BMS normally selects from suitable contractors based on the type of work, availability, previous performance, price and appropriate insurance/competence. Directors can also tell us about contractors they know and trust.

Not for every job. Getting three quotes for a £120 repair could cost more in management time and delay than it saves. For larger expenditure, competitive quotations become much more important. We agree sensible thresholds with the directors.

We don’t simply act as a postbox for invoices. Quotes and invoices should be checked against the work requested, queried where something doesn’t look right, and compared with previous costs or alternative contractors where appropriate.

We establish what has happened, where the problem originates and whether it is likely to be a communal/freeholder responsibility or an individual leaseholder matter. We can then arrange action, seek further information or explain why the matter rests with the leaseholder.

That depends on the cause, the lease and what part of the building is affected. Something occurring inside a flat isn’t automatically the leaseholder’s responsibility and something affecting the communal areas isn’t automatically the freeholder’s. We investigate before allocating responsibility.

We explain that service charges pay for costs that the lease permits the landlord or management company to recover. The lease remains the starting point for deciding responsibility.

Usually that would create unnecessary email traffic. Routine matters should be managed routinely. Directors should be kept informed about significant expenditure, recurring problems, complaints, emergencies and anything requiring their decision.

Response should reflect urgency rather than treating every repair identically. Emergencies require immediate attention; urgent matters should be progressed promptly; ordinary repairs can be scheduled sensibly. Importantly, residents should know their report has been received and what happens next.

BMS follows up rather than leaving the directors or leaseholder to chase them. Persistent unreliability should affect whether that contractor receives future work.

At that point we stop treating it as a series of unrelated repairs. Repeated call-outs can indicate an underlying defect. It may be more economical to investigate properly and recommend replacement or planned works rather than repeatedly patching the problem.

Maintenance expenditure should be monitored against budget throughout the year. Patterns matter. Ten £200 repairs can be more significant than one £1,500 job. Directors should be alerted where expenditure is running materially ahead of budget.

We tell the directors early rather than waiting until the bank balance becomes critical. Depending on the lease and circumstances, options might include reprioritising non-essential work, reviewing reserve funds, considering additional demands where permitted, or rescheduling planned expenditure.

Not automatically. It depends upon the lease, the purpose for which the reserve has been collected and the nature of the expenditure. Reserve funds shouldn’t simply become a convenient pot for plugging an overspent maintenance budget.

Cost is important, but so are the nature and extent of the work. Where expenditure could trigger statutory consultation requirements, including Section 20, we flag that before simply proceeding, except where genuine emergency circumstances require immediate action.

A sensible maintenance trail should show what was reported, when it was reported, photographs where useful, action taken, contractors instructed, quotations, approvals, invoices, correspondence and completion. That history becomes extremely valuable when recurring problems arise.

Completion shouldn’t simply mean “the contractor sent an invoice.” Depending on the job, confirmation may come from photographs, residents, the contractor, inspection or BMS. Larger or technically important works require more formal checking.

They can, but it needs coordination. Otherwise you risk duplicate instructions, unclear authority and invoices arriving for work the managing agent knew nothing about. One agreed route for maintenance instructions generally works much better.

BMS manages the property on behalf of the client entity rather than individual directors. Where the matter isn’t covered by delegated authority, we need a properly authorised decision in accordance with the company’s arrangements.

We investigate rather than automatically accepting either side’s version. We establish what was instructed, what was completed and whether remedial work is required. Where the contractor is responsible, we would normally expect them to put defective work right.

By moving from reactive maintenance to planned maintenance. Regular inspections, sensible servicing, reserve-fund planning and identifying recurring defects can prevent the classic cycle of “break → repair → break again → repair again.”

Directors should concentrate on oversight and decisions, rather than becoming unpaid maintenance coordinators. BMS handles the operational work, report exceptions and expenditure, and brings directors the matters that genuinely require their judgement.