Frequently asked questions

Residential property management can raise a lot of questions, whether you’re a homeowner, landlord, or part of a residents’ association.

This FAQ section brings together the answers to the questions we’re asked most often but if you don’t see what you’re looking for, our team is always here to help.

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Block management in Northern Ireland

  • Block management refers to the maintenance, administration and upkeep of shared or communal areas within a residential development. These may include private roads, shared gardens, parking areas, play areas, hallways, stairwells, lifts, and other common spaces. In Northern Ireland, these responsibilities are typically overseen by a Management Company.

  • A block management company is usually established by the property developer to own and manage the shared or communal areas of a housing or apartment development. Each homeowner typically becomes a shareholder in the company when they purchase their property and from those shareholders, directors are appointed who carry the authority and responsibility for the company. Typically, a management company will appoint a Managing Agent to provide services such as maintenance, insurance arrangements, repairs, financial administration and governance assistance.

  • Service charges are paid to upkeep the common areas of the development. Homeowners are legally obligated to pay these charges under the covenants (contractual agreement) in the Title Deeds.

    These fees cover:

    • Maintenance and upkeep of communal areas

    • Building or estate insurance

    • Administration and accountancy costs

    • Repairs and contractor services

    • Public liability insurance.

  • A Title Deed is the legal document (or collection of documents) that sets out the ownership of a property and includes details such as boundaries, rights of way, covenants, burdens, and any conditions affecting the property. In Northern Ireland, for registered land, the Title Deed takes the form of a Folio and Title Plan, which record the owner, legal boundaries, and any cautions, burdens, or inhibitions attached to the title.

  • A Transfer Deed is the legal document used to transfer ownership of a property from the developer (or a previous owner) to the purchaser. In Northern Ireland developments, the Transfer Deed typically includes covenants that set out:

    • The homeowner’s obligations

    • Requirements to contribute to the Management Company

    • Rules relating to communal areas and maintenance responsibilities

    These covenants form the legal foundation for service charges and shared management obligations.

Changing management agent in Northern Ireland

  • If your current managing agent isn’t giving you the service, support or value you expect, homeowners in Northern Ireland can appoint a new managing agent. Before contacting a prospective managing agent it is important to look into the following:

    Who are the directors of the management company?

    If you’re not a director, you will need to inform them that you’re not happy with the service being provided. The best place to do this, is often at the company annual general meeting. The directors carry the authority to take decisions on behalf of the management company and will be responsible for appointing a new agent.

    What is the decision-making process in place for the management company?

    This will be laid out in the Articles of Association for the Management Company and can often be found on Companies House

    Is there a contract in place with the current managing agent?

    Once these have factors have been addressed, It is important to take time to compare other block management agents and understand what each offers. Asking the right questions can help you choose an agent who’s transparent, reliable and a good fit for your development.

    At Charles White, we’re here to make the switching process pain sailing and can guide you through the process. Working with homeowners, we aim to make the whole process simple and stress-free so you can enjoy a better service, clearer communication and a managing agent you can rely on.

  • Yes, homeowners (shareholders) in Northern Ireland can usually remove or replace a managing agent. The process depends on how the development is set up and what the governing documents say.

    In many developments, the managing agent is appointed by the Management Company rather than the individual homeowners directly. Where the homeowners are shareholders of members of the Management Company, they may be able to influence or decide whether to change agent by following the voting process set out in the company documents.

  • The number of owners needed to agree to change managing agent depends on the development’s legal documents and how the Management Company is structured. In many cases, the homeowners are shareholders or members of the Management Company and decisions about appointing or removing a managing agent are made through the company’s voting process but you should consult your governing documents before you start.

  • Yes, you should review the company articles and your title documents before starting the process of changing managing agent. These documents might include details about voting requirements, notice periods, management obligations and any conditions that apply to your development.

  • Before appointing a new managing agent, it’s worth asking:

    • What services are included in the management fee?

    • What services are not included in the management fee?

    • How are staff trained?

    • How do you handle repairs and maintenance?

    • How do you stay connected with homeowners?

    • How are costs agreed and controlled?

    • What happens if things go wrong?

Communal repairs and maintenance

  • The managing agent is usually responsible for arranging repairs and maintenance to the shared or communal areas of a residential development on behalf of the management company. This can include areas such as roofs, stairwells, lifts, communal lighting, door entry systems, gutters, drains and landscaping.

    The exact repairs your managing agent is responsible for arranging will depend on your Title Documents which should set out what is classed as a common area and how it should be maintained.

  • You should report any issues in the communal areas of your development as soon as you notice them. This could include issues such as a leaking roof, broken stair lighting, a faulty door entry system or blocked communal drains.

    Charles White clients can report issues on our portal, on our website or by contacting the office.

    When reporting communal repairs, it helps to provide as much information as possible. You should include:

    • The address

    • Location of the issue

    • A description of the problem

    • Photos or videos

    Once the repair has been reported, your managing agent can take whatever action is required.

  • Communal repairs are normally paid for by the homeowners who share responsibility for the affected part of the development. How the costs are divided is usually set out in the Title Documents. In some developments, repair costs are shared equally between all owners and in others, the costs may be split according to what is stated in the Title Documents.

    The managing agent does not pay for the repairs but they can manage a development’s finances. The managing agent arranges the work on behalf of the homeowners, paying for the works through invoices, service charges, float accounts or reserve funds depending on the development’s arrangements.

  • If there is an immediate risk to health, safety or security, these repairs are handled as a priority. In an emergency, a managing agent may need to arrange for urgent work to be carried out to make the area safe or prevent further damage.

    Our out-of-hours phone line is answered 24/7 by our out of hours team so urgent issues can always be dealt with quickly.

  • If homeowners disagree about communal repairs, you should begin by consulting the Title Documents. These usually explain who is responsible for the repair, how costs should be shared and what level of owner agreement is needed before work can go ahead. At Charles White, we work with homeowners to help provide clear information, transparent costs and practical guidance.

Property management fees and charges

  • A managing agent’s management fee covers the professional management of your development and its shared areas. This includes the day-to-day administration involved in arranging maintenance and repairs, managing contractors, carrying out inspections, keeping records, preparing budgets, issuing invoices, attending AGMs, communicating with homeowners and our 24/7 emergency service.

    The management fee is separate from the cost of the services provided to the development. Your invoice may therefore also include your share of services such as stair cleaning, gardening, lift servicing, buildings insurance, repairs and contributions to a float or maintenance fund. How these costs are shared will depend on your Title Documents.

  • Managing agents set their own management fees. The fee reflects the level of professional work needed to manage the development, while service and maintenance charges are based on the services provided and the costs charged by contractors and suppliers.

    Your share of the communal costs is normally calculated in line with your Title Documents. Depending on your development, costs might be divided equally between homeowners or allocated as a percentage using another method set out in the Title Documents. Our invoices provide a clear breakdown of the charges and show the share allocated to your property.

  • No two developments are the same. A small block of flats with a communal stair will have very different requirements from a larger development with lifts, underground parking, landscaped grounds or other shared facilities.

    We take into account the age, size, condition and number of services required at a development when setting our management fees. If your development has a mix of houses and flats, it is likely that each will be charged a different fee due to the services provided.

  • It is important to pay invoices promptly to ensure there is enough money in the development account to pay contractors and keep services running. If invoices remain unpaid, your managing agent will follow the debt recovery. Our invoices are due for payment within 21 days.  Overdue invoices may incur late payment charges before moving to external debt recovery. 

    Unpaid charges can affect the wider development by delaying services or reducing the money available for essential work. In some developments, the Title Documents make homeowners jointly liable for common costs. That means that if every reasonable step has been made to recover the debts, the outstanding balance may need to be paid by other homeowners. If you are having difficulty paying a bill, it’s always best to speak to your managing agent early so the issue can be dealt with before it escalates.

  • If you don’t recognise a charge on your invoice or think it has been calculated incorrectly, you should speak to your managing agent. We ask that all invoice disputes are raised with your Client Relationship Manager in writing within 14 days of receiving the invoice. The disputed amount will then be placed on hold while it is investigated but any undisputed charges should still be paid to avoid late payment fees.