Residential Block Management Services
Ian Stanistreet and Ian Magenis are the Partners at Scanlans Property Management LLP who have overall control of the Property Management department nationwide.
The department currently employs 34 people at its various locations although the main administrative function for property management is based at the Manchester office. The Practice currently employs 14 Property Managers, most of whom have a considerable number of years of experience in residential block management.
Each Property Manager would normally look after a portfolio of approximately 20 - 25 developments depending upon their size, complexity and location.
The Property Manager would be responsible for all matters relating to the developments in their control, including but not limited to the following:
- Setting of budgets
- Arranging and monitoring the provision of services
- Arranging insurance and administering claims
- Regularly meeting onsite with residents and contractors
- Attendance at AGMs, EGMs and Directors’ Meetings
- Handover of residents’ Management Companies to resident Directors
- Ensuring compliance with health & safety legislation
- Ensuring compliance with Company legislation, including filing of accounts and Annual Returns
- Dealing with day-to-day queries from lessees and handling solicitors’ enquiries on sales.
The Property Managers are supported by our administration team which is made up as follows.
Accounts
A team of 5 dedicated and experienced accounts personnel including an Accounts Manager. The accounts personnel are responsible for maintaining all of the financial records for the developments we manage. This includes the monthly reconciliation of all client accounts in accordance with the requirements of both the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Association of Residential Managing Agents.
Credit Control
We have a team of credit controllers who assist the Property Managers in ensuring that the service charge on their development is collected and where necessary action is taken for recovery.
General Administration Support
We also employ a team of support personnel including secretary and Property Management Assistants who support the Property Managers in their roles.
Regular meetings are held with all Property Managers to discuss various issues affecting their role and to enable the Property Managers to give feedback on any particular subject matter. These meetings enable us to keep up with changes in the marketplace and ever-changing legislation which has a direct impact on the role of Property Managers.
Property Management System
All our staff have access to a bespoke property management system (QUBE) created by Estate Computer Systems of Sleaford. This enables us to properly administer all matters relating to the developments we manage.
Our accounting system is operated via QUBE software (previously ECS).
This system is applicable to all land usages and mixed portfolio management. The accounting facilities it provides are fully compliant with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA) requirements. It ensures all developments are fully in line with the requirements placed on managing agents with regard to service charge accounting as defined by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002.
Training and Development
All of our staff are actively encouraged to further their careers by continual training and development. By encouraging the development of our own staff in this way we are helping them to achieve our aim of providing a quality service to all of our clients. We are pleased to state that 80% of our Property Managers are MIRPM Part II qualified.
Complaints Procedure
It is inevitable that from time to time a client may wish to make a complaint. We take all complaints seriously and view it as an opportunity to improve our service further. As members of the RICS and ARMA we are required to adopt a Complaints Procedure.
Quality Control Policy / Key Performance Indicators.
We have rigorous procedures in place to ensure that all of the properties under our management are properly managed and that the Management Companies we act for comply with their statutory obligations. These include:
- Arrears Monitoring - regular reporting from our management system on arrears levels.
- Filing of Accounts and Annual Returns - our Accounts Manager produces a monthly report on the current status of all accounts and Annual Returns.
- Budget Reviews - all Property Managers are required to review the budgets on all the properties under their management on an annual basis and report to the Directors of the Management Companies with regard to any changes. This is monitored by Ian Magenis during his regular review meetings with Property Managers.
- Annual General Meetings - again, the Property Managers are required to call an AGM for every development under their management and this is reviewed by Ian Magenis.
- Creditors. Monthly reports are produced for each development detailing total creditors against cash in hand. This is useful to indicate either a budget shortfall or arrears problem.
As part of our flexible approach to property management we are willing to discuss with all our clients their specific requirements in terms of reporting and Key Performance Indicators. Obviously, the level of reporting may have an effect on our fee structure.
