Commercial Unit Lettings
We take a vacant commercial unit from the point of handover to the point of occupation. That starts with a condition record: a dated survey of the suite, its services, its access arrangements and any defects carried over from the previous occupier.
The record protects the landlord at the end of the term and gives a prospective tenant a fair picture of what they are taking on.
Marketing follows the record. Particulars describe the usable area, the service provision, the access hours and the parking position accurately, because a letting built on an overstated specification tends to end in a dispute rather than a renewal.
Viewings are arranged around the building operation and accompanied by someone who can answer technical questions about the services and the shared areas.
When terms are agreed we prepare the licence or tenancy documents, coordinate the deposit and guarantee position, and build the handover schedule. The new unit is then added to the site plan with an effective date, which automatically updates the service charge apportionment basis for the following period.
Service Charge Administration
Service charge administration begins with a cost base rather than a target figure. We collect the last full year of invoices, the current contract values and the known works programme, then construct a budget that an owner can defend to any tenant who asks.
Contingency is stated openly as a percentage with a stated purpose, not buried inside a general maintenance line.
Demands are issued on the dates set in the occupancy terms, with a summary of the basis and a note of the apportionment method. Payments and arrears are tracked against each unit so the owner sees the collection position without asking.
Where a tenant queries a line, the response is drawn from the ledger: the invoice date, the supplier, the works description and the apportionment applied.
At year end we reconcile the actual spend against the budget, calculate any balancing charge or credit and produce a statement that shows both. The supporting schedule stays with the property file, so a query raised a year later can still be answered precisely.
Compliance Inspection Rounds
Inspection rounds are scheduled rather than improvised. Each round follows a defined route through the building, covering shared areas, plant rooms, escape routes, fire equipment, emergency lighting and water systems in line with the property compliance calendar.
The route is drawn from the site plan, which means nothing is inspected twice by accident and nothing is quietly omitted.
Each finding is recorded with a photograph, a location and a severity. Minor items are added to the maintenance list. Items requiring a contractor are raised the same day with a brief that names the location and the defect.
Urgent items, such as a blocked escape route or an expired extinguisher, are escalated by telephone before the written report is finalised.
Reports are issued after each round with an action list showing the responsible party and the review date. The next round checks the previous action list before starting the new route, so closures are verified rather than assumed.
This is the part of the service that most often reveals a gap left by a previous manager.
Maintenance Contract Oversight
We hold the contractor register for each property, including the scope, the price basis, the attendance commitment and the reporting obligation for every appointment.
Before a contract is placed we check that the scope reflects the actual building rather than a standard package, and that the reporting obligations produce evidence the compliance calendar can use.
Attendance is checked against the schedule. Where a visit is missed, the reason is recorded and the contract is reviewed. Invoices are matched to the completed works and to the contract price, and any variation is agreed in writing before the work proceeds.
This simple discipline prevents the gradual drift that turns a fixed maintenance cost into an open-ended account.
Performance is reviewed with the contractor at least annually, and more often where the property is complex. The review covers response times, reporting quality and the closure rate of defects. Where performance does not improve, we recommend a replacement and manage the transition so that the building does not lose its history in the process.
Tenant Liaison Desk
The tenant desk is the daily face of the management service. Each property has a named contact and a single route for requests, so tenants are not left guessing which inbox to use.
Every request receives a reference on the first working day, and the reference stays with the matter until it is closed.
Requests are triaged against the occupancy terms. Where a repair falls to the landlord, a works order is raised and the tenant is given the appointment window. Where it falls to the tenant, the desk explains the position and, where helpful, offers a list of contractors who work in the building.
Emergencies are handled by telephone and recorded afterwards.
The desk also publishes practical information: access procedures, waste arrangements, delivery windows and building rules. Keeping that information in one place reduces the volume of routine queries and leaves the desk free to deal with the matters that genuinely need attention.
Budget Forecast Reviews
Budget forecasting is a review of the forward cost picture, carried out twice a year and always before the annual service charge budget is set.
Historic spend is compared with current contract prices, and any gap is investigated rather than smoothed over. Known works are phased across the calendar, and the reserve position is tested against the likely renewal dates of major plant.
The output is a short forecast document covering the next twelve to thirty six months. It sets out the expected cost range for each major category, flags the items where an owner decision is needed and identifies the works that can be deferred without creating a compliance risk.
The forecast does not replace the annual budget; it gives the budget context.
Forecasts are discussed with the owner in person or by call, and the assumptions are recorded alongside the numbers. When a cost moves unexpectedly, the file shows whether the movement was foreseen, and if it was not, what changed.