Common Ground

1. All escape routes and electric cupboards must be kept clear at all times. If you have any items of storage, combustible items or any obstructions in the stairs, electrical cupboards or escape routes, please remove them immediately.
2. Door mats are provided by some flat front doors. If you have a door mat outside your flat, please remove it, as in the event of a fire they could become trapped in a flat door and allow fire or smoke to spread into the corridors or stairs.
3. Read the Fire Action Notices in the communal areas to familiarise yourself with the action to take in a fire, and the location of the designated fire assembly point.
4. Flat Fire Doors: All flat entrance doors that open onto the escape route must be fire doors fitted with a serviceable self-closing device and an intumescent strip/cold smoke seal with a 30 minute fire rating. It not, a fire occurring within one flat could spread into other dwellings and also compromise the means of escape. All flat entrance doors that open onto the escape route must be upgraded ASAP to include a self-closer and a third fire rated hinge if these are not already fitted. Please check your door for combined intumescent strips/cold smoke seals; these must be fitted if they are not already. If your flat door has a letter box this must be filled over or have fire resisting letter boxes fitted on the inside of the flat doors.

• The standards are (serviceable self-closing device and an intumescent strip/cold smoke seal with a 30 minute fire rating installed into either the door edge or doorframe) conforming to BS 476 part 20:22 and BS 476 part 31:1. BS 476 – Fire doors and doorframe, BS EN 1154 – Self closers, BS EN 1154 – Hinges, BS EN 1906 and BS EN 12209 – Door handles and locks.

5. It is recommended that a Grade: D LD3 system in each flat (non-interlinked) with a smoke alarm in the room/lobby opening onto the escape route to protect the sleeping occupants of the flats.

If a landlord proposes to carry out works that will cost any one leaseholder more than £250 or is looking to enter into a long term qualifying contract (Longer than 12 months) that will cost any one leaseholder more than £100, the landlord is required to go through a consultation procedure under section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

A section 20 process is made up of three distinct stages

1) Notice of Intention to Carry Out Works” upon all lessees. The Notice must generally describe the proposed works, state the reasons for considering the proposed works, and invite leaseholders to make written observations within 30 days

2) At the expiration of the 30 day consultation period, at least two estimates should be obtained:

“Notice to Accompany the Statement of Estimates” must also be served in conjunction with the Statement of Estimates, which sets out the hours and place where details of the estimates may be inspected, inviting lessees to make written observations on the estimates within 30 days, specifying the address to which those observations should be sent.

3) Award of contract

If at the expiration of the consultation period, the chosen contractor did not provide the lowest estimate, then a “Notice of Reasons” must be served upon all lessees

Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenants is the subject of a great deal of case law and is a subject of discussion in it’s own right

For further reading see https://www.lease-advice.org/advice-guide/section-20-consultation-private-landlords-resident-management-companies-agents/ 

Ground rent is the money that you pay as a leaseholder to the Landlord or Freeholder for basically renting the land that the leasehold property sits on. This is usually a fixed sum and is paid annually.

The service charge is payment for all the services (such as maintenance of gardens and communual areas) that you as a leaseholder will use but will not be specifically responsible for. This will often be an estimate of what the landlord will anticipate will be for the forthcoming year.

Ground rent can be collected directly by the Landlord, by the managing agent or a specialist ground rent collection company on behalf of the Landlord or Freeholder