Why Does a Building Need to be Managed?

A solid, legally-binding lease is essential, but a good building management company is the key to making sure the obligations in the lease are kept.

Who arranges repairs and maintenance for the building? Who sorts out the insurance? Who makes sure the bills are paid on time and in full? A landlord can’t do it all, and that’s where the services of an excellent block management company come in handy.

From converted houses to purpose-built blocks, buildings need to be managed effectively.

Here’s how it’s done;

Staying one step ahead

Where buildings and blocks of flats are involved, careful and forward planning is crucial. These buildings sometimes need repairs, which can be costly and may need to be done at short notice, especially if the repair is affecting the living circumstances of the tenants. The building needs to be assessed ahead of time to anticipate these kinds of things – ideally over a year in advance.

Clarity and understanding

There are many obligations set out in a lease and it’s important that these are clearly understood by whoever is managing the building so that necessary services can be carried out in the best way possible for the residents.

Leases can be very complex documents and the terms need to be fully studied so that the way the building is managed does not contradict any promises made in the lease.

To really make sure this is possible, it’s important to have an experienced, reputable and knowledgeable block management service to avoid problems later on down the line. The service must always consider the terms of the lease when it comes to their dealings and especially when managing things like:

  • Insurance arrangements
  • Repairs, maintenance and major works
  • Provision of services – heating, lighting, caretakers
  • Enforcement of tenant’s covenants – preventing sub-letting, preventing disturbances from other residents

In addition to this, the company will also need to be fully aware of the requirements of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

Financial obligations

With managing buildings comes many financial obligations and the block management company you choose needs to be effective in dealing with this. The landlord or building management company is obligated to inform tenants of extra charges – for example – when works need to be carried out that will cost the tenant more than £250 in service charges – and this must be done as a formal consultation where clear reasoning for the work is provided to the tenant. If this is not done, the landlord may have to pay out of their own pocket as the tenant will no longer be obligated to.

It’s also up to the landlord and building management service to ensure that service charges are always reasonable and fair.

Health and safety</h3

The list of duties for a landlord is long. Among them is the requirement to make sure their residents are safe in their properties. This includes arranging regular inspections of electrical equipment and other machinery in the building. This is another very important task that can be passed on to a building management company.

Looking for excellent building management?

Horizon Management is your best bet. Experienced, knowledgeable and reliable, we’re happy to answer any questions you may have. If you’d like to know more about how we can help you effectively manage your properties, don’t hesitate to reach out hello@horizonmanagement.co.uk

 

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We’ve had a great experience with the Horizon team, our questions have been answered straight away and work has been completed to a high standard. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a new building management team as we were.
Bolton Hackett
Katie & Chris are pros. They’ve sorted all our problems immediately. They are very nice people to deal with. Highly recommend.
Rosie Moss
A really great company. Our previous Block Managers were providing a poor service and were expensive. Within a short period Horizon Management have turned the Block around at a considerably cheaper price. Highly recommended!
Marc Willton
I rarely write reviews but felt compelled to write this.
The team at Horizon management is just fantastic, 100% on top of everything, hard-working and always there when I need them or have a question.
Cannot recommended them highly enough..????
Ben Holmes
Great communicators, timely, efficient and great to work with. I would 100% recommend working with this company.
Adam Smith
The whole team has always been extremely helpful and responsive when dealing with any issues we have come across in any blocks they manage. A massive thank you to the continued hard work from Lisa and the whole team!
Leef Properties
Excellent company, very conscientious and on the ball. The team are great and cannot do enough for you. Always contactable and helpful in every way. Highly recommended!
Lisa Calvert
Great guys to work with everything was smooth highly recommend
Martin Attride
Excellent Service, the team is friendly & reliable. Pleasure to work with.
Kris Maple
My experience with Horizon Management has been great, pity they are no longer managing another apartment I own.
Jie Shen
Very professional, friendly and hard working team. I would highly recommend their services.
L P
Very recommended. Horizon team is very helpful. Working with them is a pleasure. ????????
Piotr Uczkuronis
I have really enjoyed working with Horizon Management. Their work ethic and blocks are first class.
Peter Cox
A truly exceptional and professional service.
Attention to detail and level of competency are unsurpassed. Really recommend ????
Piotr Uczkuronis
Great company to work with, we’d highly recommend working with them! The team including Chris and Katie have been an absolute pleasure to deal with!
AJ Richmond
I have been dealing with Horizon for over 2 years now in a maintenance capacity. Throughout the years their responsiveness to their customers has been top notch.

This shows most when we (my maintenance business) are late or cannot make it to an appointment at one of their sites. The team are straight on the case, they always have a backup option.

It shows clearly that their customers investment is their top priority.

I can not recommend this friendly bunch highly enough! Well done.
Michael Bishop
Excellent company and team, couldnt recommend them enough.
Chris Whitlock
Fantastic company with huge importance on customer service.
Every question gets answered and they are thoroughly professional.
Neil Smith
Horizon only took over my block a few months before I sold up so I only have limited experience but it was all positive. Very helpful, professional people.
Jimmy L
An absolute dream to work with.
They make everything simple, easy and straight forward.
Very easy to talk to and nothing is to much trouble.
5 stars isn’t enough!
Thanks Chris and the team!!
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Neil Smith
Couldn’t fault them - since they’ve stepped in the service is so much better ????????
Steph Hitchman
Brilliant company to work with, really responsive and can’t do enough to help!
Ellen Cantrill
Great company, whole team has always been helpful and responsive when dealing with any issues we have come across .A massive thank you! Absolutely satisfied and highly recommended .
Andrea
We've used several management companies over the years to look after our apartment block , Horizon were recommended to us and we would not hesitate to recommend them to others
First class service from the whole team
Brian
I'm extremely impressed with Horizon Management. Their team is professional, attentive, and efficient. They've significantly improved the maintenance of our property and are always responsive to our needs. Their dedication to customer satisfaction is outstanding. Highly recommend for reliable and exceptional block management services.
Piotr
Excellent service from the team at Horizon! A pleasure to work with.
Kris Maple
Always reassuring to deal with a company who answer the phone and are helpful and friendly. Horizon look after my apartment building and have helped turn it around since the previous agents seemed to have given up!
Victoria
Really good company to deal with, very professional. It is so rare to find someone good in this industry. Highly recommended.
James Fawcett
Great company to work with, we’d highly recommend working with them! The team including Chris and Katie have been an absolute pleasure to deal with!
Ashley Richmond
As always, the service from Horizon Management is clear, helpful, friendly and efficient. Katie and the team patiently explained everything to us and I have complete confidence that our legal matters will be completed to our total satisfaction.
Rob Zak
A first class team!!! Always very helpful
Catherine Pickard
They’ve done a good job so far and easy to get hold of.
Mike Thomas
Horizon Management have been fantastic. Our previous management company were very unprofessional, not doing their job and hiking up their fees considerably every year.
Horizon Management have come in taken control from day one, are now charging a fair service charge, carrying out all the required duties and have been very transparent throughout. I would highly recommend!
Marc
To put some context in my review: Horizon manage a building where I own a flat and after years of mismanagement by the previous block managers, Centrick, Horizon took over the building with outstanding results. I find their approach to be extremely transparent, working hard to improve the building while not putting up costs unnecessarily. To me they are a breath of fresh air in an industry where its all to easy to exploit flat owners with lazy management.

I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Horizon to anyone who wants a managing agent that actually works hard for leaseholders, freeholders and tenants.
Richard Ball

Accreditations

ARMA - Horizon Managment
RICS - Horizon Managment
British Safety Council - Horizon Managment
Client Money Protect - Horizon Managment
Cyber Essentials - Horizon Managment
ICO - Horizon Managment
The Property Institute - Horizon Managment
Property Redress Scheme - Horizon Managment
Redefining Leasehold Living

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