A managing agent’s influence is narrow. Within it, we decide which contractors get work, how a building is heated, how quickly a tenant with a problem is listened to, and what happens to the waste from a refurbishment. This page sets out what we hold ourselves to.
Tenants
The residential rental market puts most of the power on one side of the relationship. These are the commitments we make on the other.
- Our fees to tenants are published in full, and are limited to the payments permitted under the Tenant Fees Act 2019.
- Deposits are protected in a government-approved scheme, with the prescribed information served within the statutory period.
- Repairs affecting safety, security or habitability are prioritised over administrative convenience.
- Standing guidance on maintenance, emergencies and routine responsibilities is published openly and kept current, so a tenant is never guessing about what is theirs to deal with.
- Every tenant has access to our complaints procedure, including independent referral to The Property Ombudsman.
Buildings and energy
The largest environmental decision in property management is usually the state of the building fabric. Recycling arrangements come a long way behind it.
- We advise landlords on improving EPC ratings ahead of minimum standards deadlines.
- Where plant reaches the end of its life, we specify efficient replacements and present the running-cost case alongside the capital cost.
- Insulation, draught-proofing and heating controls are raised at refurbishment, when they are cheap to install.
- We keep tenants informed about ventilation and condensation, which is where energy efficiency and building health most often come into conflict.
Contractors
- We use established local trades and pay them promptly. A contractor who is paid on time answers the telephone at eight o’clock on a Sunday.
- Competence, insurance and, where relevant, registration are evidenced before instruction.
- Works are procured against a written specification so that quotes are comparable and variations are visible. That protects the landlord’s money and the contractor’s reputation equally.
- We expect contractors working in occupied homes to treat them as homes.
The practice
- Personal information is held only as long as it is needed, and is never sold or shared for marketing. See our privacy notice.
- We do not name clients or publish case studies.
- Client money is handled through designated accounts and reconciled.
- We are a small practice and we intend to stay one. Continuity of people is what our clients value most, and we will not trade it for scale.
Community
Our buildings sit in streets that other people live in. Works are programmed with neighbours in mind, covering hours, noise, access and waste. We will absorb a short delay to avoid being the reason a street has a bad month.