BobSmytherman 34 JohnWilliams Letters
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Undercoverboss 38
John Williams Everybodyneedsgoodneighbourswhether theyowntheir flat or are renting
AsurveycArriedoutearlierthis year by
FindaProperty.comsadly showed Britain becoming anun- neighbourlynation, withmany people not knowing anything about thoselivingnextdoortothem. Indeed, somewent as far as saying they hadnever even seen their neighbours.Have you spoken with yours?Doyouknowtheirnames or what they do for a living? If youliveinand/ormanage
residentialblocks, thesurveyresults areprobablynot
surprising.The majority of residentialdevelopments today have amixofowner occupiers living alongsidethosewhoare privatelyrenting accommodation. Thismeans thereisaconstant streamof newpeopleasresidents move in andout morefrequently. Addthistothe fact that ourlives are gettingeverbusierandwehave the perfectexcuse:wehave less timeto gettoknowpeoplewho live close by, let alone keep in touchwith our nearest anddearest. Of course,that problemisbeing overcomeby the growth of socialmediawhichmeans wedo our‘socialising’from the comfortofourownsofa, withoutthe need to actually go out and talk with peopleface-to-face.However, this self-imposed ‘isolation’ is problematic fromapropertymanagementpoint of viewandisdamagingtolocal communities in general. Owner-occupiershavedifferent
aspirations for their property to those whorenttheir flat. This canlead to problemsand disputes with the most common areasofcontention beingnoise disturbance; parking; leaks; use of common parts; rubbish/ dumping; laundry, and pets. These issuestendtoarise with renters forone of threereasons:theyhave nomonetary investment in the property; they have noemotional ties to theproperty; or they have little or no informationabout the block they live in provided by theirlandlord. Once peopleare safely behind their ownfrontdoor, theoutsideworldis well andtruly shut outand, forsome, thatmeans all sense of consideration for neighbours and community goes out of the window. Most of theproblemsoutlined
Flat Living Autumn2012
Old-fashionedconversation is usually the way forward
Ifaneighbour were to simply poproundto talkaproblem through oftenitcan be solved immediately
abovecan be resolved by encouragingnon-residentlandlords to communicateregularly with
theirtenants.Theyneed to set out guidelines foroccupationoftheir property andtoensurethe lease covenantsare upheld.Failure to do this canresultincostimplications forleaseholders in theblock as a whole and ultimately tenantsmay findtheir rent increases in order to coverthe regularadditionalcosts incurred in ensuring thepropertyis kept clean, pest free and conformsto health and fire safety regulations. Formanagingagentstobe
effective, it isimperative that up-to- date contactdetails areheldfor all leaseholders so,whenissues arise they canbe contactedimmediately andthey, in turn,can dealwith their tenantsdirectlytodiffusepotential problemsat the earliest
stage.This is vitaltomaintainapleasantand happylivingenvironment.Our advice is to encourageleaseholders to speakwith each other and communicateany issuestheymay
have.Things are always better sorted out directlywithout the need for recourse to athird party-namelythe managingagent-who is then often the person stuck in themiddle of a
dispute. Ifaneighbourweretosimply poproundto talkaproblemthrough oftenitcan be solvedimmediately– whatmayappeartobeahugeissue, frequently stemsfromasimple misunderstandingandnomalicious intent has ever beenmeant. In essence, communicationiskey
and an old-fashioned conversation is
usuallythewayforward.Asthe ‘middleman’itisthemanaging agentwho has to take responsibility forhelping to create andmaintain aharmonious communityspirit. Occupiersneed to be encouraged to gettoknoweachother (bethey owners or tenants). This will result in bonds being created, people caring moreabout each otherand their surroundings, so generating a sense of belonging, communityand pride among residents. Doyourememberthe genius
straplinedelivered by actorBob Hoskinsfor theBTadvertising campaign:“It’s good to talk”? It is probablymore relevanttodaythanit was over twenty years ago!●
JoHNWiLLiAMs Director ofManagement and Professional services at chartered surveyors Aston Rose Tel 0207 6291533
Websitewww.astonrose.co.uk
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