Block Management

Douglas and Gordon have established a reputation as being one of the leading managing agents in London, managing over 5,000 flats

Douglas and Gordon have established a reputation as being one of the leading managing agents in London, managing over 5,000 flats for resident management companies, developers and investor freeholders. It is a combination of factors that have brought Douglas and Gordon to this position and we list the main features of our service below.

Why choose us?

Douglas and Gordon is one of the leading managing agents in London, managing over 5,000 flats for resident management companies, developers and investor freeholders.

Not all real estate and lettings agents offer block management services, but at Douglas & Gordon, property management forms the cornerstone of our comprehensive residential property service. Residential block and property management entails taking care of the mundane day-to-day concerns that accompany owning a block of flats or large estate: navigating emergencies, managing finances and providing strategic advice for long-term maintenance - crucial for protecting the value of your asset.

What can you expect from Douglas & Gordon’s Property Managers?

Our Property Management Services are divided into three sections: General Management; Rent Collection, Financial and Accounting; and Management of Service Charge.

General Management services include:

• General advice on the property, reports on current matters, and attendance at meetings if required.
• Maintenance of property records.
• Property supervision, checking compliance with lease covenants and reporting on applications to assign, sub-let or alter property and liaising with solicitors.
• Periodic property inspections and reporting on state of repair, decoration, use etc.
• Day-to-day maintenance matters and minor redecoration of communal areas and paying outgoings.
• Notifying the client of property insurance needs: preparing valuations, renewing policies, revising cover or handling claims.

Rent Collection, Financial and Accounting services include:

• Collection of ground rents, service charges and other property income and liaison with clients and solicitors on collection of arrears.
• Management of funds in specially designated accounts.
• Preparation of quarterly income and expenditure reports as well as budget compliance accounts.
• Identifying/paying expenses for suppliers, insurers, contractors, staff and consultants.

Management of Service Charge services include:

• Arranging and reviewing contracts to fulfil all landlord obligations to tenants.

Employing and supervising staff, on behalf of the landlord.

• Appointing specialist consultants for structural alterations, plant and machinery repairs and replacements, etc.
• Authorising invoices and payment of all outgoings.
• Preparing annual budget costs and statements of projected income and expenditure.

Additional Services:

• Specifications and tenders for major works requiring Section 20 notices, applications to assign, alter or underlet, provision of Company Secretarial services and Health and Safety issues.

Visiting the Property

• Visits – often weekly – underpin our commitment to meeting our customers’ needs, as do efficiency when resolving problems and undertaking management-related tasks.

Our team

On-going training and professionalism keep our team up to date with the latest regulations.

Structure

Michael Hodgson MA FRICS MIRPM, Chief Executive of Douglas & Gordon, has corporate responsibility for the residential property division.

Day-to-day, the operation is run by Calum Watson MSc MIRPM Head of Block Management (special responsibilities: staff training, development, health and safety).

The organisation is divided into teams headed by a senior property manager who is accountable to the client and will:

• Supervise the property manager
• Act as key client contact
• Ensure that standards are met
• Co-ordinate and provide strategic and specialist advice
• Attend meetings
• Ensure day-to-day management of each property is carried out by an experienced professional, reporting in to the head of their team.

Skills

Your property will be managed by fully trained professionals with:

• A track record of successful management of similar projects
• The ability to act proactively and enhance your property assets
• Sound understanding and experience of the residential property market
• The ability to manage budgets, work to deadlines and provide reliable reports
• Excellent communication skills and a friendly, personable approach

Our service

Communication

We actively employ individuals with good communication skills and have introduced a clear reporting structure to give clients a quick, direct communication channel through a dedicated property manager.

We also hold weekly “surgeries” at larger properties to discuss property issues with residents.

Surveyor service

Douglas & Gordon uses recommended surveying companies to oversee projects;
clients pay a one-off fee. 

Emergency cover, health and safety

We are able to:

• Provide an out-of-hours emergency response service
• Arrange annual health and safety audits of properties
• Company secretarial work, payroll and human resource services

These services, offered through our parent company, Eggar Forrester, include:

• Maintaining the share register
• Dealing with transfers
• Submitting annual report and accounts to Companies House Payroll for clients’ employees
• Offering an initial human resources advisory service

Pioneering technology

D & G has invested in the latest technology to ensure you have concise, accurate and up-to-date information. This includes:

Accounting system

We have adopted a state-of-the-art package supplied by Trace, market leaders in
Property Management software. In addition to full property and tenant record
details, it offers:

• Wide-ranging accounting and reporting facility
• Fully integrated accounting module
• Rent demand and collection facilities
• Service charge accounting and reconciliation

Online services

Clients can now check all records of their building via a secure extranet and
view:

• Standard leases
• Floor plans and property photographs
• All invoices relating to the property (plus invoice analysis tools)
• Full tenancy information
• Licences to alter, assign or sub-let
• Rent and service charge collection date
• Service charge expenditure analysis

This information is also delivered quarterly in paper format. Our technology also enables the creation of websites for individual buildings. Clients can then set up noticeboards to display relevant information to tenants online.
Schedule of services

For a complete list of our management services, please click the link below. Download schedule of services (pdf)

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Health & safety
Tighter European legislation has increased the focus on Health & Safety in property management.  Today, relevant parts of blocks of flats are considered 'work places'.  It is crucial to consider and monitor the safety of residents, staff, contractors and other visitors to the site.  Clients should be aware of their liabilities in respect of Health and Safety issues. We will be happy to assist, if required.

Douglas & Gordon Health & Safety
We can provide each property with an Accident Book and a First Aid Box. Porters and other staff can be trained and/or be invited to attend specialist courses, as appropriate. We can arrange assessments to help the staff carry out their tasks as safely and efficiently as practicable.

Annual risk assessment
On receipt of formal instructions from our client we can arrange for independent fire and health and safety risk assessments of your building to ensure that all assets or risks are managed and to assess any new risks in the light of any changing circumstances or new legislation. The results of the reports, including any recommendations arising there from, will be sent to the client and discussed between the property manager and client. If any areas are identified as being critical, the work should be undertaken immediately. Otherwise, quotations would be sought for discussion with the client, and an implementation timetable agreed.

Equipment testing and certification
We can arrange for all necessary equipment testing. We can ensure that certification is in place and kept securely on site or an alternative place, if appropriate. For example, communal cold water tanks should be tested regularly for legionella.

Asbestos
If requested, we can arrange for your building to have an asbestos register and, if applicable, an asbestos management plan as required by current regulations. Clients should be aware that they are regarded as the "responsible person" in respect of Health & Safety.

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Legislation update
On-going training and professionalism ensure that our team is always up to date with the latest regulations.
Service charges, rent and forfeiture
The law has now changed so landlords must tell service charge payers about their proposals for major works and long-term contracts. This means that if you are planning to sign a contract that lasts over a year (perhaps for lift maintenance, even cleaning) you must formally consult leaseholders on your proposals and give reasons why.

Improvements and administration charges
Until now, it has not been possible to challenge work done to improve the building and charges for administrative functions by the landlord on the grounds of reasonableness. This has now changed and if your lease includes a liability to contribute to the costs of improvements, costs must be deemed reasonable. At any time, they can be challenged at a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal. The same will apply to administrative charges which can include fees for consents, legal costs, costs levied for provision of information, documents etc. 

Separate accounts
The law now requires leaseholders’ service charge monies, including sinking funds, to be held in a separate, designated trust account exclusive to the building.  Leaseholders also now have rights to inspect these bank statements and other financial records to check that money is where it ought to be.

Annual summaries
As a matter of course, landlords must now produce a yearly statement of each leaseholder’s service charge account, in the form of a balance sheet. Previously, these only needed to be supplied following a written demand.  This way, leaseholders are kept aware of their payments and how the funds have been spent by the landlord. Leaseholders are now entitled to withhold payment of service charges if the landlord does not comply with this requirement.  In addition, landlords must include a statement of leaseholder’s legal rights with any demands for service charges.

Demand for ground rent
Landlords cannot take proceedings to recover ground rent unless they have previously demanded it, in writing, in the proper format, giving at least 30 days notice.

Changes to forfeiture
Leases usually allow the landlord to bring action to repossess a leasehold flat if the leaseholder is in arrears of ground rent or service charges or is otherwise in breach of the lease.  Leaseholders now have more protection as landlords must prove any breach before the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal (among others) before they can serve a forfeiture notice.

Service charges
All demands for service charges from leaseholders must now be accompanied by a statement describing what the charges include.  The wording of the statement is legally prescribed and leaseholders will have the right to withhold the service charge if this statement is not provided (or not provided correctly).

Terms & Conditions

For terms and conditions and more details, contact Michael Hodgson MA FRICS MIRPM, Chief Executive, Douglas & Gordon, 67/68 Warwick Sq, London SW1V 2AR