Putting out a tender for the management of your property? We recommend you include these key questions. Every year, Block Management UK Ltd deals with many tender proposals for new business from residents’ management companies (RMCs) across the country. Many of these tender proposals are quite thorough with their questions: balancing a demand for generic information with site-specific questions that are of particular relevance to the RMC Directors. Reading between the lines, we can see they’ve had problems in the past with management of their site. However, a few tenders seem to miss out some basic information that we as block managers would want them to know about our service. We also think it would help them make a more informed choice about the right managing agent for their property. It’s very tempting to load a tender with questions based on issues the site has had in the past (or present). This is understandable if you’re struggling to locate the source of water ingress in the roof of a Grade II listed colonnade. Of course, you want to know how we handle this kind of scenario. But this kind of test only shows an RMC that we have the number of an emergency plumber. This situation doesn't happen every day and doesn’t demonstrate how we proceed with the routine day-to-today tasks of managing a property. Below, are three key areas of service that we suggest an RMC Director may want to cover in their tender document when looking for a new managing agent. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) Service level agreements can be short declarations or multiple pages. SLAs are common in the technology sector particularly when delivering services over a time frame. They may provide a framework for both day-to-day operations and extraordinary situations. The main result of an SLA is to manage the client’s expectations. Block Management UK service level agreement ranges from same-day jobs to Section 20-level issues. Handover systems Although not a day-to-day occurrence, a managing agent’s handover system is indicative of how they handle complex administrative tasks. Each handover can be a tricky process and is an experience specific to each property and to the property management industry. The handover can often be derailed by lack of documentation or poor working relationships with the previous agents. Sometimes a great deal of diplomacy and patience is required. We have designed our handover checklists to collect as much essential data and documentation as possible in order to keep the handover process moving. Our handover process is an 88-section document - accompanied by a three-page checklist – that we use internally to monitor the progress of this important stage in property management. Arrears processes Another area - like the handover systems - that needs diplomacy and experience. A managing agent ought to have credit control procedures that will manage the serious issue of arrears. So, the systems in place to facilitate the arrears process should be robust and based on previous experience - good and bad - of credit control. Using a tri-stage credit control process, our in-house credit control team make efforts well over and above what is required to come to an amicable solution to any debt recovery situation. In rare cases when our credit control team cannot reach an amicable solution, we draw on the support of a specialist 'no win no fee' solicitors whose focus is solely on service charge litigation. In this way we bring recovery cases to a swift and cost-effective solution and fair proportions are recovered so that those funds are reinvested in the maintenance, upkeep and improvement of your property. When seeking a new managing agent, don’t forget to ask about the administrative parts of the managing service. An RMC will better understand the capabilities of their new managing agent (10 December 2020 )

Putting out a tender for the management of your property? We recommend you include these key questions.

Every year, Block Management UK Ltd deals with many tender proposals for new business from residents’ management companies (RMCs) across the country. Many of these tender proposals are quite thorough with their questions: balancing a demand for generic information with site-specific questions that are of particular relevance to the RMC Directors. Reading between the lines, we can see they’ve had problems in the past with management of their site.

However, a few tenders seem to miss out some basic information that we as block managers would want them to know about our service. We also think it would help them make a more informed choice about the right managing agent for their property.

It’s very tempting to load a tender with questions based on issues the site has had in the past (or present). This is understandable if you’re struggling to locate the source of water ingress in the roof of a Grade II listed colonnade. Of course, you want to know how we handle this kind of scenario. But this kind of test only shows an RMC that we have the number of an emergency plumber. This situation doesn't happen every day and doesn’t demonstrate how we proceed with the routine day-to-today tasks of managing a property.

Below, are three key areas of service that we suggest an RMC Director may want to cover in their tender document when looking for a new managing agent.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

Service level agreements can be short declarations or multiple pages.

SLAs are common in the technology sector particularly when delivering services over a time frame. They may provide a framework for both day-to-day operations and extraordinary situations. The main result of an SLA is to manage the client’s expectations.

Block Management UK service level agreement ranges from same-day jobs to Section 20-level issues.

Handover systems

Although not a day-to-day occurrence, a managing agent’s handover system is indicative of how they handle complex administrative tasks. Each handover can be a tricky process and is an experience specific to each property and to the property management industry.

The handover can often be derailed by lack of documentation or poor working relationships with the previous agents. Sometimes a great deal of diplomacy and patience is required.

We have designed our handover checklists to collect as much essential data and documentation as possible in order to keep the handover process moving.

Our handover process is an 88-section document - accompanied by a three-page checklist – that we use internally to monitor the progress of this important stage in property management.

Arrears processes

Another area - like the handover systems - that needs diplomacy and experience. A managing agent ought to have credit control procedures that will manage the serious issue of arrears. So, the systems in place to facilitate the arrears process should be robust and based on previous experience - good and bad - of credit control.

Using a tri-stage credit control process, our in-house credit control team make efforts well over and above what is required to come to an amicable solution to any debt recovery situation.

In rare cases when our credit control team cannot reach an amicable solution, we draw on the support of a specialist 'no win no fee' solicitors whose focus is solely on service charge litigation. In this way we bring recovery cases to a swift and cost-effective solution and fair proportions are recovered so that those funds are reinvested in the maintenance, upkeep and improvement of your property.

When seeking a new managing agent, don’t forget to ask about the administrative parts of the managing service. An RMC will better understand the capabilities of their new managing agent

(10 December 2020 )

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