House Wiring Rectification

[DontAsk]

I suspect that it is not a simple case of removing the light, it must be removing all the wires that go from flat B's consumer unit into Flat A.

If the wiring is in the common floor/roof void between upstairs/downstairs flats where do you define the boundary?

As always the devil is in the detail. It may well be quite a simple fix.

 

[STDFR33]

It’s probably the freeholders responsibility.

We’ve recently had to do this for a block of flats and it was our responsibility.

Also, the requirement for a s20 consultation for leaseholders is £250 inclusive of VAT, not £150 and is per leaseholder. I.e. £600 cost and 5 leaseholders, there’s no requirement to consult.

 

[fisicx]

We’ve recently had to do this for a block of flats and it was our responsibility.

What income do you receive from this block of flats? Or did you pay for this personally?

 

[STDFR33]

What income do you receive from this block of flats? Or did you pay for this personally?

It’s mixed tenure so we have tenants and leaseholders. Both paying a service charge.

The lease didn’t permit the cost to be passed on and it was deemed that the works were to be paid for by us as the freeholder.

 

[fisicx]

The lease didn’t permit the cost to be passed on and it was deemed that the works were to be paid for by us as the freeholder.

Interesting. So you paid out your private bank account?

 

[STDFR33]

Interesting. So you paid out your private bank account?

Not mine personally, but my employers.

 

[Stedurham]

least when they get the electric test done, which is required by law by the end of this month you will know if there are any other issues

 

[fisicx]

Not mine personally, but my employers.

Which suggests they used their earning to pay for the work. That’s something we don’t get. The freehold came with the property - it’s not something we asked for or even wanted.

least when they get the electric test done, which is required by law by the end of this month you will know if there are any other issues

Doesn’t apply to us as the properties are not rented.

 

[STDFR33]

Which suggests they used their earning to pay for the work. That’s something we don’t get. The freehold came with the property - it’s not something we asked for or even wanted.

Doesn’t apply to us as the properties are not rented.

Do the leases not permit you to charge a management fee as part of the service charge?

 

[fisicx]

No. But we do charge for our time to organise the accounts, insurance and maintenance. Works out about £200/year.

Also worth noting the house is 120 years old. So nothing is simple. For one flat the meter is on the ground floor and their consumer unit 2 stories up with the cables passing through two other properties.

And the meters are the responsibility of the property owners. 3 have switched to smart meters.

 

[UKSBD]

These things happen all the time, people put up with it, turn a blind eye, leave it to someone else and 99.99% of the time nothing goes wrong and life just goes on.

When the 0.01% happens they then look for someone to blame.

 

[Stedurham]

£200 a year you charge im just going through bills from simarc and various others that i pay they charge 5x that for a block of 4 flats in their own charges and all bills we get are highly inflated

 

[STDFR33]

We charge more than £200 per annum per leaseholder.