Question 1

Too many properties are let to tenants who don’t seem to care. What can I do?

Accepted Answer

With the boom in buy to let investments over recent years, significant numbers of apartments on many new developments are bought by investors to let out. There is nothing that can be done to change this as all these properties are sold on the open market.

However all property owners have the same responsibilities under the lease, irrespective of whether they have bought their property to let or to live in themselves. This means that they have to ensure that their tenants comply with the terms of the lease.

If you believe that the tenants are causing a problem such as excessive noise or the way in which they are using the facilities, please bring this to the attention of Heritage so that we can take it up with the property owner and/or their letting agents.

Question 2

Do I need to tell Heritage if I want to make alterations to my home?

Accepted Answer

If you live in a leasehold property, it is likely that your lease will require you to obtain consent before you carry out any alterations. This is so that we can ensure that the building structure or appearance is not adversely affected by any alterations.

Please contact us to obtain consent.

Question 3

How do I become more involved with the development?

Accepted Answer

It is possible for a group of owners to set up a Residents Association to act as a point of contact between owners and Heritage and/or the developer.

Legislation provides for the formal recognition of properly constituted Residents Associations that represent a majority of owners and this status allows an association to request information on behalf of it’s membership and be consulted on the management of the development. If you are interested in forming a Residents Association, Heritage can provide you with some guidance notes to assist you through the process of setting up and obtaining recognition.

On a number of estates, the management responsibilities are held by a Resident Management Company (RMC) set up by the developer with initially either the developer or Heritage acting as directors of this company. Once the development has been completed and sold, the control of this RMC can be passed to the property owners whereupon Heritage can continue to act as their managing agent, carrying out the day to day responsibilities of management. We can advise you if this structure applies on your development.

Question 4

My neighbours are noisy, what do I do?

Accepted Answer

Living in a block of apartments involves a lot of people living in close proximity to one another. If your neighbour is causing a nuisance, the first thing that you should do is have a friendly chat with them – many people aren’t used to living in apartments and don’t realise the problems that they are causing.

The lease contains covenants in relation to not causing a nuisance and so if you are suffering from a repeated problem, Heritage can take steps to enforce the lease. If you want Heritage to become involved, we will need to know the address that is causing the problem together with dates, times and details of occurrences. In the first instance, we will write to the offending owner.

It is also worth remembering that local authorities have wide ranging powers in relation to noise nuisance and you should also seek their advice.

Question 5

What repairs are Heritage responsible for?

Accepted Answer

The respective responsibilities of Heritage and you are set down in your lease or transfer which you must refer, to understand the detailed obligations.

In the case of leasehold apartments, broadly speaking, Heritage is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the common parts, the building structure and exterior, any shared services or equipment and any external grounds. You are responsible for all repairs and maintenance within your apartment.

If you own a freehold house, you are likely to be fully responsible for all matters relating to your individual property and Heritage will only have specific responsibilities in relation to any shared private roads, gates or drainage.

If you are unsure who is responsible, click here.

Question 6

How do I obtain a new key and fob?

Accepted Answer

If you need a replacement or additional key for a shared entrance door or gates, Heritage can normally supply these for a charge. Please contact our head office to Please click here to request a new key/fob via our on-line maintenance request system.

You should be aware that keys and fobs often have to be ordered specially from the suppliers and so may take several weeks to arrive. In some cases, the charge from the supplier for an electric fob can be significant and we have to pass this cost onto the purchaser.

We do not have access to keys for your individual front door and we reserve the right to place a limit on the number of duplicates supplied.

Question 7

Do I need to apply for consent to keep a pet at my property?

Accepted Answer

Most leases require the consent of Heritage for the keeping of a pet in an apartment. This is for the protection of your neighbours and the building as some pets can cause a nuisance or damage to the common parts.

Generally, Heritage are only concerned with larger pets such as cats or dogs, and will usually give consent for smaller pets subject to some reasonable conditions.

Question 8

Who do I report faults inside my new home to?

Accepted Answer

Heritage is responsible for the building exterior, structure and shared internal areas and equipment. If you are concerned about any problems relating to these areas, then please report these to our Customer Service Team using our online maintenance request system.

If you have a problem within your individual property then this will be your responsibility. However, most new homes come with a 2 year warranty for defects caused by poor workmanship or materials. If you feel that the problem might fall within this cover, then you should report this to the developers Customer Care department.

Question 9

Do I need to tell Heritage if I am letting my property?

Accepted Answer

If you live in a leasehold property, it is likely that your lease will require you to obtain consent before you let your property which, we will not unreasonably withhold.

Click here to contact us.

Question 10

What do I do if my name is wrong on my service charge?

Accepted Answer

If you have recently purchased your home, it is possible that we have been incorrectly advised of the name of the owner. It is a requirement of the lease or transfer that we receive formal notice of sale which solicitors should deal with as part of the completion process, and we are unable to change our records until we receive this. As a first step please check with your solicitor that they have issued the Notice required by the lease or deed to Heritage.

If your name has changed or someone’s name should legally be removed, we will need to be advised in writing together with a copy of the relevant legal document such as a marriage certificate, deed poll or probate certificate.

Question 11

How do I report a problem?

Accepted Answer

You can report a fault or problem to Heritage by completing a maintenance request using our online maintenance request system.

Alternatively, for general enquiries please contact us.

Question 12

How often will the outside and entrance of the building be redecorated?

Accepted Answer

In most cases, the frequency of redecoration will be laid down in the lease – often not more than every four or five years. In some cases, the lease will require the redecoration to be carried out ‘as and when required’ in which case we will identify when this is necessary from our programme of inspections.

We will advise you when redecorations are to be carried out, and in many cases the level of expenditure will require us to formally consult with you prior to committing to the work.

Question 13

Who checks that the Cleaners and Gardeners are doing a good job?

Accepted Answer

Your building is allocated to a locally based Property Manager who visits the development on a regular cycle. It is their job to carry out a full inspection to check that services such as cleaning and landscape maintenance are being carried out according to the specification and to a high standard. They will also identify any repairs needed and will check on any repairs recently carried out.

A written report is completed on each visit so that any issues are located and acted upon.

If you have any concerns about the services being provided, please contact our Head Office so that we can address these

Question 14

When will Heritage start charging me my Service Charge?

Accepted Answer

Under the terms of your lease or transfer, your service charge is payable for the full duration of the ownership of your property.

In the case of a new development, often the developer is likely to retain control and carry out any early management services required until they are ready to handover responsibility to Heritage . In these situations, Heritage will generally not commence collecting the service charge until we are providing maintenance services. We will write to advise you when handover has been completed and Heritage have taken responsibility for the service provided within the service charge.

If you have paid service charge to the developer when you completed your purchase, these funds will be utilised to pay for services provided from when you completed on your property.

Question 15

What happens whilst the developer is still building?

Accepted Answer

In the case of a development still under construction, particularly a large or phased development, often the developer will retain control and carry out any early management services such as cleaning or landscape maintenance until they are ready to hand over responsibility to Heritage . This will mean that some or all areas will not yet be the responsibility of Heritage .

In these situations, Heritage will generally not commence collecting the service charge until the particular block or area of a new development has been handed over to us and we are providing the services.

This also means that some areas of your development may be incomplete or part of a working building site and so some ‘give and take’ may be required in respect of unfinished roads or landscaping and increased levels of noise and dust

Question 16

Do I need to tell Heritage if I am selling my property?

Accepted Answer

Under the terms of your lease or transfer, you are required to fulfil certain formalities upon the sale of your property. The solicitors acting for vendor and purchaser will normally deal with these matters for you but you should advise your solicitor at an early stage that your building is managed by Heritage and pass on your contact details.

Question 17

Do I need to tell Heritage if I don’t live at the property or I am an Investor Purchaser?

Accepted Answer

It is very important that you advise us in writing of your correct address if you do not live in the property, otherwise you may not receive invoices and other important communications which could result in legal action being commenced against you.

Legally we have to send invoices to the property to which they relate unless we are advised otherwise by the owner. It is your responsibility to advise us and you must not rely on the developer to tell us or assume that we will know that the address stated on your lease is correct – we have no way of knowing if this is your current address or a previous address.

For legal reasons, you must tell us about a new address in writing, by post to our Head Office or email

Question 18

How do I know what Heritage is spending my Service Charge on?

Accepted Answer

At the start of each financial year, a Service Charge Budget is prepared which is sent out to all owners and which sets out, line by line, how the service charge has been calculated, together with explanatory notes. The budget is an estimate of costs for the forthcoming year based on previous years expenditure for the development, current costs and planned and anticipated expenditure.

Following the end of the financial year, Service Charge Accounts, are prepared for each development, as in accordance with the lease or deed, and legislation. The service charge accounts detail the actual expenditure during the year and are certified by an independent Chartered Accountant, as being accurate.

When the accounts are prepared, we compare what the actual costs have been to what we have billed during the year, based upon the budget, to identify any surplus or deficit. If expenditure has been lower than anticipated then there will be a surplus that will be credited back to your account; if costs have been higher there will be a deficit, and an additional charge will be payable. Either way, you will only pay your proportion of the actual costs of providing the service

Question 19

Why do I have to pay Service Charge when I live in a Freehold House?

Accepted Answer

Some developments of freehold houses have the benefits of shared facilities or areas which have to be managed, and the associated costs of this paid for by the house owners. There will generally be less maintenance required compared to a typical block of apartments, but maintenance costs might include electronic gates, shared grounds, areas of open space and private roads and drainage that are not adopted by the local authority or utility companies. Where there are shared areas Property Owners Liability (Public Liability) insurance will need to be arranged.

Where a development is mixed and comprises houses and apartments and, in some cases, commercial properties, the costs are apportioned fairly between the various elements and this is reflected in the service charge

Question 20

What is the Sinking Fund and Redecoration Fund?

Accepted Answer

Heritage is responsible for the long-term maintenance of the property including redecoration of the exterior and internal communal areas, future major repairs and renewals. Therefore, usually included in the service charge, there are amounts set aside in the form of a Redecoration Fund and/or Sinking Fund. Each year a contribution is made into these reserve funds with the intention that they build up over the years so that when works are required, there is a fund available to go towards the costs, reducing any additional one-off payments that may be required to make up the shortfall.

Reserve funds go towards ensuring that the development will be looked after for its full life, thus ensuring that property values, saleability and appearance are maintained

Question 21

What is the Management Fee?

Accepted Answer

The Management Fee is one element of the service charge and is Heritage's charge for providing the day-to-day management service.

Heritage's Management Fee is based upon a set annual charge per property. It is not based on a percentage of expenditure which of course would give no incentive to keep costs down.

In general, Heritage increases its Management Fee each year in line with inflation.

Question 22

My property is empty, why do I have to pay?

Accepted Answer

Under the terms of your lease or transfer, service charge is payable for the full duration of the ownership of your property irrespective of whether it is occupied or empty.

Each property owner contributes towards the costs of the services and these contributions add up to 100%. If we did not charge you whilst the property was empty, we wouldn’t recover 100% of the costs and there would be a shortfall which would have to fall unfairly upon the other owners.

Question 23

What has happened to the Service Charge that I paid to the developer when I bought my home?

Accepted Answer

If you paid an amount of service charge on account when you completed your purchase, this will be utilised to fund services provided to the development. Generally, the funds will be passed to Heritage to hold on account until services are provided. In some instances, when a development is built in phases, the developer may carryout services in the early stages and utilise the completion funds to pay towards the costs incurred.

Question 24

What do I do if the wrong name is on my service charge invoices?

Accepted Answer

If you have recently purchased your home, it is possible that we have been incorrectly advised of the name of the owner. It is a requirement of the lease or transfer that we receive formal notice of sale which solicitors should deal with as part of the completion process, and we are unable to change our records until we receive this. As a first step please check with your solicitor that they have issued the Notice required by the lease or deed to Heritage and if you still need help, please contact our Legal Team at Head Office.

If your name has changed or someone’s name should legally be removed, we will need to be advised in writing together with a copy of the relevant legal document such as a marriage certificate, deed poll or probate certificate.

Question 25

Why is my Service Charge higher than my neighbour or the building down the road?

Accepted Answer

No two buildings are the same and although a block may look to be similar, there will be many differences that may affect the amount of service charge.

The number of apartments in a building can have an effect with regard to economies of scale – larger buildings can often be run more cost effectively than one with just a few apartments to share the fixed costs such as lift maintenance.

Different buildings have different equipment to maintain – looking after fire alarms, electronic gates and lifts for example are a significant cost that may not apply to some buildings. Not all buildings will have a provision in the service charge for building up reserve funds to pay for redecorations and major repairs. If these items aren’t reflected in the service charge, then they are effectively a hidden cost for the future.

The service charge for individual properties can be calculated in a number of ways to reflect the services that they individually benefit from or, in some cases to reflect the size of the apartment

Question 26

What are my rights?

Accepted Answer

There is an extensive body of legislation concerning the management of leasehold property and accounting for service charges to which Heritage must adhere. This legislation lays down requirements for how we keep and account for service charge monies, the reasonableness of service charges, information we have to give to you and consultation before we carry out major work.

If you own a freehold property, the body of legislation is somewhat less and you must rely on your terms of your specific transfer deed.

Question 27

What is Service Charge?

Accepted Answer

Because you live in a managed development, a number of services are arranged centrally by the management company and the costs of these are shared by the owners in the form of a service charge. When you purchased your property, you entered into a lease or transfer deed which states the proportion of the various costs that you have to pay.

The lease or deed also states how the service charge is to be paid, on what items Heritage can spend the service charge on and how the service charge is to be accounted for.

Question 28

Why do I have to pay Ground Rent?

Accepted Answer

If you live in a leasehold property, you have purchased your home for the remainder of the term of the lease – often 99, 125 or 999 years. Under the terms of your lease there is a ground rent payable to the owner of the land and the building, the freeholder. The amount of ground rent, how it is paid and when it will increase is stated in the lease and will not change if the owner of the freehold changes.

Heritage often collects ground rent on behalf of the freeholder as a service to them but in some cases, the freeholder will collect this themselves

Question 29

How can I pay my Service Charge or Ground Rent?

Accepted Answer

Often your solicitor will have collected an amount of service charge on account when you purchased your home which is usually passed to Heritage.

Thereafter, the easiest way to pay is online via our secure residents’ portal where you can make payments, update your contact information and even locate your property managers details. Register or login today via the residents’ portal.

Alternatively, you can pay the above by Direct Debit. If you feel this method of payment would be more suitable, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Question 30

Why has my Service Charge increased?

Accepted Answer

The service charge is an estimate of the actual costs of providing the various services arranged by Heritage. The costs of these services can vary depending on contractors/supplier’s charges, changes in the level or frequency of services required or maintenance requirements and changes in legislation.

For example, utility suppliers for electricity or water may increase their prices on communal supplies, or usage might be higher than previously anticipated. The level of repairs needed might be higher than anticipated or it might be decided that services such as cleaning or gardening need to be carried out more frequently. Insurance costs may also change as a result of wider trends. Budgets /estimates will take into account long term changes in costs.

Whatever the outcome, we use our expertise to keep costs as low as possible but consistent with providing the right level of service.

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