Arrears that keep growing
Arrears roll from one year to the next, and the reserve quietly covers the gap.
One written arrears process, from first reminder to referral, applied the same way to everyone, with the position in every report.
Common issues in block & estate management
Next year’s budget is your chance to put things right.
Arrears, late accounts, a reserve that would not cover a roof: these are the problems boards ask us about most. Here is what we do about each.
Member of Property RedressMembership No. PRS056648
Common issues
What we do about each.
A budget that doesn’t fit
A deficit every year, a reserve that is too thin for what the development will need, and nobody can explain the figures.
A budget built from your leases, contracts and real costs, with live spend monitoring so works fit the budget before they are approved.
Accounts late or unclear
Year-end accounts arrive months late, and you cannot see where the money went.
Records kept as the year goes, and reports on the dates you choose: budget, actual and variance, in plain figures.
Hard to get an answer
Slow replies, a different person every time, and nobody senior to speak to.
A Precedent director involved throughout, who knows your development, with a direct line for your board.
Works that stalled
A Section 20 consultation started and never finished, or works waiting on a decision nobody made.
We check where it stopped and what still stands, then take it through to a decision your board can rely on.
Safety actions left open
A fire risk assessment full of actions that nobody has closed.
Every action logged, owned and tracked until it is closed, and reported to your directors.
How should a block deal with service charge arrears?
Arrears roll from one year to the next, and the reserve quietly covers the gap.
One written arrears process, from first reminder to referral, applied the same way to everyone, with the position in every report.
Why does our service charge budget keep running a deficit?
A deficit every year, a reserve that is too thin for what the development will need, and nobody can explain the figures.
A budget built from your leases, contracts and real costs, with live spend monitoring so works fit the budget before they are approved.
What if our service charge accounts are late?
Year-end accounts arrive months late, and you cannot see where the money went.
Records kept as the year goes, and reports on the dates you choose: budget, actual and variance, in plain figures.
What can we do if our managing agent is unresponsive?
Slow replies, a different person every time, and nobody senior to speak to.
A Precedent director involved throughout, who knows your development, with a direct line for your board.
Can a stalled Section 20 consultation be picked up?
A Section 20 consultation started and never finished, or works waiting on a decision nobody made.
We check where it stopped and what still stands, then take it through to a decision your board can rely on.
What should happen to actions from a fire risk assessment?
A fire risk assessment full of actions that nobody has closed.
Every action logged, owned and tracked until it is closed, and reported to your directors.
Peace of mind
Changing agent shouldn’t feel like a risk.
Client money kept apart from our own, an independent redress scheme behind every complaint, and a Precedent director who stays with your development.
Membership No. PRS056648
ICO registeredZC080505
Client moneyHeld in designated client accounts
If you decide to make a change
We look after the handover.
We plan it with your current agent and run it, working to the notice terms in your existing agreement.
A conversation
We meet your directors and listen to what has not been working.
A written proposal
One proposal and one fee, based on a review of your leases. No packages, no small print.
A managed handover
We request the records, funds and contracts, and reconcile them before we take over.
Your 90-day health report
A full picture of your development, walked through with your directors so everyone agrees the priorities.
An extract looks like this →
Development Health ReportIllustrative extract · page 2 of 14
82OF 100
Service charge, year to date
| Budget heading | YTD budget | YTD actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communal cleaning | £3,120 | £3,010 | −£110 |
| Grounds maintenance | £2,400 | £2,655 | +£255 |
| Buildings insurance | £9,350 | £9,350 | £0 |
| Repairs & maintenance | £2,500 | £1,980 | −£520 |
| Total | £17,370 | £16,995 | −£375 |
Reserve fund & arrears
Reserve balance £48,200
Arrears 2 units · £1,140
Compliance, next due
Fire risk assessment Mar 2027
Communal EICR Jan 2028
Insurance renewal Dec 2026
Open actions 2 in hand
Grounds overspend: extra autumn clearance, approved by directors.Prepared by your Precedent director
Tell us what isn’t working.
We will come back with a written proposal in good time for your budget. With no showroom head office to pay for, and meetings on site, our fee may surprise you. There is no obligation.
Not looking for a managing agent?Occasional help, when you need it: advice, company secretarial work, accounts support or a single Section 20 consultation, without full management. Quotations are available on request.
See more about consultancy
Precedent Estate Management is a limited company, registered in England and Wales, Company No. 16969312. Registered office: 61 Bridge Street, Kington, United Kingdom, HR5 3DJ.
Property Redress Scheme Membership No. PRS056648