Association of Residential Managing Agents

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Leaseholders Advice

Welcome to the Leaseholder Library

ARMA self-service library offers guidance to leaseholders. We would recommend that you view the documents available to see if they can assist.

If they do not, or you require further information then please contact the Leasehold Advisory Service at info@lease-advice.org. They are a government funded body who are able to assist you and they provide free information, initial advice and guidance to members of the public about residential leasehold. They are independent and impartial and all of their advisers are legally qualified.

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Advice Note: Service Charge Accounting – Best Practice In 2010 the Government pulled back from introducing important regulations that would have given greater protection to leaseholders’ service charge money. To fill this void ARMA, along with the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales (ICAEW), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), worked together to issue best practice guidance on service charge accounting.

Posted: 08 / 11 / 2023

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Management Fees ARMA is very keen that its members act ethically when negotiating with and charging fees to landlords including Residents' Management Companies (RMCs) and Right to Manage companies (RTMs).

Posted: 03 / 07 / 2023

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Parking Issues Clamping and towing away was outlawed from 1st October 2012 unless carried out by the police, local authority, bailiffs or other government agency.

Posted: 18 / 03 / 2023

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Fire Safety Management in Flats – ADVICE NOTE A good practice Guidance Note for professional Fire Safety personnel involved in the residential long leasehold sector, including managing agents, developers and landlords.

Posted: 10 / 02 / 2023

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Freehold Houses in Estates Some private estates have both freehold houses and blocks of leasehold flats. All homeowners will be expected to pay for the upkeep of the communal areas on the estate. The communal areas may simply be private roads; but they can also include landscaped gardens, electric gates, street lighting, refuse areas, sewage pumps and TV aerial systems.

Posted: 16 / 07 / 2022

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BUILDING SAFETY ACT 2022: Leaseholder Protection Provisions BUILDING SAFETY ACT 2022: Leaseholder Protection Provisions - Statement from The Property Institute After a prolonged period of uncertainty and delay for many leaseholders, we are pleased that the amended Building Safety Bill received Royal Assent to become the Building Safety Act, earlier this year. Crucially, one of the amendments The Property Institute (TPI) has championed and supported – the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle - has been carried into the Act and is one of the earliest provisions to come into effect. The Leaseholder Protections provision means for the first time, many leaseholders are protected under new laws from bearing the costs of certain remediation and related building safety work on your building, placing cost responsibility with the developers.

Posted: 06 / 07 / 2022

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Section 20: Consultation for Private Landlords By law, leaseholders must be consulted before a landlord carries out works above a certain value or enters into a long-term agreement for the provision of services. This guide explains the Section 20 consultation process for landlords, resident management companies and their managing agents in England and Wales. IMPORTANT: The advice in this booklet needs to be read in conjunction with the decision in a recent case in the High Court, 'Phillips v Francis'.

Posted: 18 / 03 / 2022

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The Importance of Reserve Funds – ARMA Introductory Guide for Leaseholders Reserve funds and sinking funds. What are they? What are they for? Why should we be putting them in place and how do they work?

Posted: 02 / 02 / 2022

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ARMA Consumer Charter and Standards From January 2015 all ARMA members must operate according to the principles contained in the Consumer Charter and meet the requirements of the Standards.

Posted: 19 / 10 / 2021

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Making A Complaint In this Advice Note, we’ll look at what you can do if you’re unhappy with the way your property is being managed and how to establish who’s responsible. We’ll also look at how you can make a complaint about your managing agent if they are at fault.

Posted: 11 / 09 / 2021

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Asbestos Asbestos is responsible for the highest number of deaths in the working population. Asbestos still kills around 5000 workers each year.

Posted: 02 / 07 / 2021

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Building Safety Information for Leaseholders Following the tragic events at Grenfell Tower, fire and building safety has become one of the most pressing issues currently faced by leaseholders and the entire residential property sector.

Posted: 14 / 06 / 2021

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Freehold Management Enquiries form (FME1) The Freehold Management Enquiries (FME1) form is on its second version and contains a number of additional questions including who deals with the deed of covenant, on contributions to the service charge, and access to insurance.

Posted: 18 / 01 / 2021

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ARMA Advice On Cladding and the Mortgage Market In this section we want to provide help and information to leaseholders on what is happening in the cladding and mortgage market. The Government introduced Advice Note 14 (AN14) in December 2018. It has had unintended consequences in that it effectively requires buildings to conform to today's building safety standards rather than those at the time it was built. Prior to this as long as the building was signed off when it was built, that was deemed sufficient.

Posted: 18 / 12 / 2019

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So What Does A Managing Agent Do? This booklet has been produced for leaseholders and prospective purchasers to explain the role of the managing agent and to de-mystify some of the peculiarities of the leasehold system.

Posted: 28 / 06 / 2019

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Advice Note: Japanese Knotweed Japanese knotweed, also known as Fallopia japonica or Polygonum cuspidatum, is a non-native plant introduced by Victorian plant hunters in the mid 19th century.

Posted: 18 / 03 / 2019

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Leasehold Information Sheets Almost all 'owned' flats in England and Wales are leasehold, as are many houses. Understanding what it means to own a residential long leasehold property can be unclear.

Posted: 25 / 09 / 2018

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Pest Control Updated February 2024 What are Pests? If you have a pest problem – whose responsibility is dealing with it? Who should you call in the event of an infestation? What service standard is usual in a Pest Control contract, and what are some of the health and safety issues involved? Our guidance covers these questions and more.

Posted: 09 / 06 / 2018

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Your Rights to Information Leaseholders have many important legal rights when it comes to accessing information, probably more than you think. Brushing up on the essentials can put you in a more powerful position when it comes to how your block is being managed.

Posted: 13 / 06 / 2016

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Gas Safety When it comes to gas safety, ARMA supports and recommends to leaseholders the information provided by Gas Safe Register. Gas Safe Register replaced CORGI as the official gas registration body for the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Guernsey. By law, all gas engineers must be on the Gas Safe Register.

Posted: 16 / 07 / 2014

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Water Leaks A quarter of all insurance claims made on flats are for damage caused by water leaks. The damage costs millions of pounds and causes heartache to those involved and disputes between neighbours over who should pay.

Posted: 16 / 07 / 2014

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Changing Managing Agents This Advice Note looks at situations where a landlord, Residents Management Company (RMC) or Right To Manage Company (RTM) has decided to change managing agent.

Posted: 16 / 07 / 2014

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Employing Contractors All landlords, Residents Management Companies (RMCs) and Right To Manage Companies (RTMs) have a responsibility to appoint competent contractors to carry out work and services to their building.

Posted: 16 / 07 / 2014

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Powered Gates Following a number of fatalities caused by powered gates in recent years, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued a series of safety notices.

Posted: 16 / 07 / 2014

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Understanding RMCs Its quite common for a block of flats to be owned or managed by a company made up of the leaseholders. These are usually known as Residents Management Companies (RMCs) or Right to Manage Companies (RTMs).

Posted: 16 / 07 / 2014

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Appointment of Manager Under Section 24 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, any leasehold flat owner has the right to apply to a Tribunal to change their managing agent if they're unhappy with the current one. But its normally a last resort there are time and cost implications and the appointment will only be granted if you can prove fault with the current management.

Posted: 16 / 07 / 2014

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Forming A Residents Association Forming a residents association is an effective way for leaseholders to express their collective views to their landlord or managing agent. Its especially effective if your block isn't run by a Residents Management Company (RMC) or Right to Manage Company (RTM).

Posted: 16 / 07 / 2014

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Gas Boilers The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a safety warning about the potential dangers of certain types of gas boiler flue systems that run through ceiling or wall voids usually in blocks of flats.

Posted: 16 / 07 / 2014

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Insurance V02 In this Advice Note, well take a look at your legal rights when it comes to insuring your block.

Posted: 16 / 07 / 2014

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The Companies House Act 2016 The Companies Act 2006 changed the way that small private companies can run. This includes Residents Management Companies (RMCs) and Right to Manage Companies (RMCs).

Posted: 16 / 07 / 2014

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Antisocial Behaviour If you are suffering from antisocial behaviour in your block, there's a wide range of actions you can take.

Posted: 16 / 07 / 2014

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Advice Note: Good Neighbours in Flats Living in a leasehold flat is a bit different from living in a freehold home. The close proximity of neighbours means that there are extra considerations to take on board. You'll also be sharing certain communal spaces and facilities, so it's important to be aware of how your actions could affect others living in your building.

Posted: 16 / 07 / 2014

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Buying and Selling Flats This Advice Note looks at the typical events in buying and selling a leasehold flat. It explains the usual restrictions found in leases that can affect how flats can be sold. Being aware of these restrictions can help speed up the sales process.

Posted: 14 / 07 / 2014

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Noisy Neighbours Noise problems cause many complaints in blocks of flats. DIY, building activity, late night music, laminated floors and barking dogs are the main culprits.

Posted: 14 / 07 / 2014

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Smoke Free Regulations Since 2007 the internal communal areas of block of flats must be smoke-free by law. Residents who do smoke in these areas can be prosecuted and fined up to £200.

Posted: 14 / 07 / 2014

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Health and Safety This advice note summarises some of the main health & safety regulations that apply to blocks of flats. This includes houses that have been converted into flats.

Posted: 14 / 07 / 2014

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Service Charge Arrears When leaseholders don't pay, or fall behind with, their service charge payments it can cause problems for everyone else in the block. The managing agent may not have enough funds to carry out important maintenance or provide the key services that everyone expects.

Posted: 10 / 07 / 2014

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Carrying Out Works to Your Own Block If you live in a smaller blocks of flats, particularly if it's self- managed, you or your fellow leaseholders may want to carry out gardening, cleaning or other work to the building yourselves.

Posted: 09 / 07 / 2014

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Condensation Condensation can cause real problems if left uncontrolled. Apart from running water on the inside of windows and walls, it can also lead to mould forming, decaying window frames and damage to fixtures and fittings.

Posted: 16 / 06 / 2014

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Appointing a Managing Agent This guide is for leaseholders thinking about appointing and employing an agent to manage their building. It's particularly relevant for directors of resident management companies and right to manage companies.

Posted: 05 / 08 / 2013

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Living in Leasehold Flats As a leasehold homeowner, it's in your best interests to understand the legal nature of this type of ownership. What exactly do you own and what are the associated rights and responsibilities?

Posted: 05 / 04 / 2013

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Service Charge Rights Summary for Leaseholders Updated February 2024 Leaseholders have important protections under Landlord and Tenant legislation and landlords are required to serve a summary of those rights when issuing service charge demands. Leaseholders can challenge unreasonable charges; challenge poor or unnecessary workmanship; and have the right to be consulted about major works and long term agreements.

Posted: 15 / 03 / 2013

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Mixed Tenure Developments This Guide is about the management models used and the issues arising for mixed tenure developments.

Posted: 25 / 11 / 2011

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Fire Safety in Flats This Advice Note gives general guidance about fire safety in blocks of flats. Specific advice for individual blocks will differ, so you should read this in conjunction with the guidance that’s in place for your own building. That could be a leaflet or a fire safety notice posted in the communal areas.

Posted: 02 / 08 / 2011

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Money Laundering Guidance This guidance provides a general introduction to anti money laundering, terrorist finance, bribery, and financial sanctions. It has been co-authored by ARMA, the National Federation of Property Professionals and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Association of Relocation Professionals.

Posted: 01 / 07 / 2011

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Electrical Safety in Communal Blocks of Flats With so much legislation in place these days, and conflicting guidance that is all too easily available in the public domain, it can sometimes be difficult for you to know what to do when it comes to managing electrical safety within communal areas in buildings that you own or manage.

Posted: 01 / 05 / 2011

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Letting In Leasehold Buy-to-let has seen some phenomenal growth over the last few years and residential lettings are now a substantial part of the housing sector.

Posted: 01 / 04 / 2010

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