Professional Property Managers in Littlehampton

Ground rent is a charge due to the owner of the land or building, which is paid by leaseholders. Any ground rent provisions will be detailed in your lease and are typically payable annually or twice a year. Ground rent is payable for the duration of your lease, and it will either be fixed or escalating. We highly recommend you consult with your solicitor if the ground rent is set to escalate over the term of the lease.

In order to ensure the property is maintained and serviced, the charges outlined in your lease or freehold document must be paid as agreed. As an agent, we have no financial or legal interest in the property, and we cannot pay for services ourselves on behalf of residents. Some expenses, such as insurance, must be paid promptly. Your building must have the appropriate insurance in place to protect you in the case of an emergency or in the event of a claim being made. Your legal documentation will stipulate that these charges are required from you, the leaseholder or freeholder of your property. By signing the documents, you are agreeing to pay as and when required.

At the initial stage (Notice of Intention), we do not know precisely what the work will cost. The specification of works will be prepared and then tendered under a closed bidding process. Any contractors nominated by Leaseholders during the Notice of Intention consultation period will be included in the tendering process if deemed suitable. The requirements for nominated contractors will be shown on the covering letter. The estimated costs of the proposed work will be shared with all Leaseholders when the Notice of Estimates is issued. All tenders will be shown on the Notice for comparison.

No. All contractors need to quote against the same specification of works under the closed bid system. This ensures the Section 20 legislation is adhered to and estimated costs are comparable. Leaseholders can nominate a preferred contractor during the Notice of Intention consultation period. Any nominations after that period cannot be accepted.

Once the consultation process has been completed, the start date will be dependent on the funds being available / collected and the availability of the chosen contractor. An estimated start date will be shown on the covering letter. Once the actual start date has been agreed, all Leaseholders will be sent a Notice of Commencement to confirm that date along with all contact details for HML and the contractor.