Day-to-Day Block Maintenance by Heather Hilder on September 3, 2026 Day-to-Day Block Maintenance Who Actually Deals With What? A broken door closer. A communal light that won’t come on. Water appearing where water definitely shouldn’t be. Individually, the day-to-day maintenance issues in a residential block can seem relatively minor. Collectively, they can become one of the biggest frustrations for directors of Residents’ Management Companies (RMC) and Right to Manage (RTM) companies. Invariably, somebody has to deal with them. “Can someone just get this fixed?” It sounds simple. A leaseholder reports that the communal entrance door isn’t closing properly. Another reports a light on the communal stairs has failed. Someone else has noticed water staining on a ceiling. Who investigates, decides whether it’s communal or demised, finds the contractor? Does the contractor need approval? Do you need three quotations? Who gives them access? Who chases them when they don’t turn up? And who checks the invoice when it finally arrives? Suddenly, a £150 repair has generated a surprising amount of work. For Directors managing their own block, this can become a familiar pattern. Professional Block Management isn’t about referring every decision back to directors One of the most important things to establish between a managing agent and the Directors is who has authority to do what. If every £100 or £200 repair has to be referred to the board, the managing agent isn’t really managing. That’s why we believe in agreeing sensible delegated authority from the outset. Routine maintenance below an agreed financial threshold can then be dealt with promptly, while larger expenditure, unusual problems and important decisions are referred to the Directors. Emergencies are different again. If water is pouring through a ceiling or the building has suddenly become insecure, the priority is to protect residents and the property and prevent the situation becoming considerably more expensive. Not every repair needs 3 quotations This is another common question. Should a managing agent obtain three quotations for every job? In our view, common sense needs to prevail. Obtaining three quotations for a relatively inexpensive repair may create unnecessary delay and administration. For substantial expenditure, competitive tendering becomes much more important and there may also be statutory consultation requirements to consider. The objective shouldn’t simply be to find the cheapest contractor. It should be to achieve good value, competent workmanship and a reliable response. Repair or replace? This is where good maintenance management can start saving money. Imagine a communal door-entry system that fails repeatedly: Repair: £180 Another repair: £225 Another call-out: £195 Individually, each invoice might appear reasonable. But stand back and suddenly £600 has been spent maintaining a system that may need replacing. Competent block management should spot those patterns. Sometimes the right question isn’t: “How quickly can we repair it?” It’s, “Why does this keep happening?” That shift takes maintenance from being purely reactive to becoming increasingly planned and preventative. Directors need visibility – not an overflowing inbox Directors quite rightly want to know what’s happening in their building and how service-charge money is being spent. But there is a difference between keeping Directors informed and asking Directors to manage the building themselves. A Director shouldn’t routinely receive an email saying: “The communal door closer is broken. What would you like us to do?” A more useful update might be: “The communal door closer has failed. We’ve instructed our contractor under the agreed maintenance authority. Attendance is booked for Wednesday and the estimated cost is £185 + VAT. We’ll confirm when the work has been completed.” That’s a small distinction, but it’s a very important one. What should Directors be asking their Managing Agent? Plenty: What constitutes an emergency? Who can authorise expenditure? When are quotations required? How are contractors selected? Who checks that work has actually been completed? What happens when a repair keeps recurring? How are maintenance costs monitored against budget? When does ordinary maintenance potentially become major works? We’ve brought together 25 of the practical questions Directors regularly ask about day-to-day block maintenance, together with straightforward answers explaining how these situations can be handled. Read our Day-to-Day Block Maintenance FAQs. Because Directors should provide oversight, judgement and direction. They shouldn’t have to spend their time chasing plumbers, electricians and door-entry engineers. Professional block management isn’t about passing every problem back to the Directors. It’s about knowing which problems to solve and which decisions genuinely belong in the boardroom.
