If you're one of the 1.6 million people who currently own leasehold property, then chances are you're also paying a management company to make sure it stays in good condition.
In March, Watchdog looked into the story of Carrie Murray, a leaseholder who was paying her management company every year to maintain the block of flats she lives in. But the company wasn't keeping its side of the bargain. Anita Rani investigated and discovered the block was riddled with mould, which the management company refused to sort out.
Carrie pays her management company an annual fee so this sort of thing shouldn't happen and if it does it should be sorted. She wanted to know exactly what she was getting for her money and she isn't the only one?
Hundreds of you, right across the UK, have now told us you're stuck paying a management company for services you're just not getting and it seems there's nothing you can do about it.
Rubbish service?
Nancy Doyle and her neighbour Vanessa Hawkins live on an estate in Chatham. Even though the residents on their estate pay their management company over £77,000 a year, it's Nancy and Vanessa who are donning the rubber gloves to clear out their communal bins. The bins on the estate are supposed to be cleaned every fortnight - but on inspection Nancy found rubbish in their bins that appeared to have been thrown out in November 2008. Not exactly a fortnight ago, is it? Nancy has complained to her management company again and again about the bins but nothing gets done.
Another frustrated leaseholder is Tim Wood. His last two management companies were happy to take his money but in return they have left his building in a right old state. Tim moved to the south coast to retire hoping for a quieter life but has told us there has been a lot of worry, a lot of stress and uncertainty as he has watched the building deteriorate. He told us he feels very let down and pretty much abandoned.
Tim, along with others residents in the block paid nearly £1,000 each to have the building painted in 2004 and they're still waiting for it to be done. He now has a new management company and hopes things will improve.
Watchdog decided to bring together just some of the people who have contacted us about their management companies. Most say they are getting nowhere with their complaints and they are at the end of their tether
One man, Bob told us: "Because the company doesn't do what it says it's going to do then you might as well open the window and throw the money out."
Edwina agreed adding: "We've all got to pay this money and none of us are getting a good service?"
It was quite clear from what everyone was saying that when taking on your management company, the odds are against you. So shouldn't there be a way to give more power to the people who deserve it most - the residents who pay the fees.
What the experts had to say
At the moment it's just too easy for management companies to get away with doing very little. The industry is self-regulating and complicated by property laws that date back to 1066. No wonder our expert on residents' rights, Bob Smytherman from the Federation of Private Residents' Associations (FPRA), told us the system has got to change.
He told us that there needs to be a clear regulatory code and a clear legal frame work, with minimum standards. This would mean if you move into a leasehold property you know what you can expect from the person responsible for the building in which you live.
Kat Callo is an expert in leasehold property and told us there are ways for residents to rid themselves of their management company. However, she also mentioned that it does take a little bit of work, with residents having to get organised. The process she told us about is called 'Right to Manage' (RTM) and requires at least half of all flats in the building participate. The idea is that once you've finished the process you create your own 'right to manage' company and can get rid of the current managing agents and can instruct a different one
Also joining us was property lawyer Steve Nicholson. He told us that it's unfortunate that although the law gives residents a remedy in certain respects, it's not always an effective remedy - particularly when looking at the cost of issuing court proceedings.
If you were paying any other company for a service they weren't delivering, you would show them the door - sharpish. Should it really be any different with a management company? It's your home and your money, so it should be your right to make sure they do what you pay them for.
Expert advice
For more information on the various ways you can challenge your management company and general information about the industry, watch tips from the property experts.
And come back to this page at 9pm to watch a video with Andrew McKeer from with the Association of Residential Managing Agents.
Property management fees
In March, Watchdog looked into the story of Carrie Murray, a leaseholder who was paying her management company every year to maintain the block of flats she lives in. But the company wasn't keeping its side of the bargain. Anita Rani investigated and discovered the block was riddled with mould, which the management company refused to sort out.
Carrie pays her management company an annual fee so this sort of thing shouldn't happen and if it does it should be sorted. She wanted to know exactly what she was getting for her money and she isn't the only one?
Hundreds of you, right across the UK, have now told us you're stuck paying a management company for services you're just not getting and it seems there's nothing you can do about it.
Rubbish service?
Nancy Doyle and her neighbour Vanessa Hawkins live on an estate in Chatham. Even though the residents on their estate pay their management company over £77,000 a year, it's Nancy and Vanessa who are donning the rubber gloves to clear out their communal bins. The bins on the estate are supposed to be cleaned every fortnight - but on inspection Nancy found rubbish in their bins that appeared to have been thrown out in November 2008. Not exactly a fortnight ago, is it? Nancy has complained to her management company again and again about the bins but nothing gets done.
Another frustrated leaseholder is Tim Wood. His last two management companies were happy to take his money but in return they have left his building in a right old state. Tim moved to the south coast to retire hoping for a quieter life but has told us there has been a lot of worry, a lot of stress and uncertainty as he has watched the building deteriorate. He told us he feels very let down and pretty much abandoned.
Tim, along with others residents in the block paid nearly £1,000 each to have the building painted in 2004 and they're still waiting for it to be done. He now has a new management company and hopes things will improve.
Watchdog decided to bring together just some of the people who have contacted us about their management companies. Most say they are getting nowhere with their complaints and they are at the end of their tether
One man, Bob told us: "Because the company doesn't do what it says it's going to do then you might as well open the window and throw the money out."
Edwina agreed adding: "We've all got to pay this money and none of us are getting a good service?"
It was quite clear from what everyone was saying that when taking on your management company, the odds are against you. So shouldn't there be a way to give more power to the people who deserve it most - the residents who pay the fees.
What the experts had to say
At the moment it's just too easy for management companies to get away with doing very little. The industry is self-regulating and complicated by property laws that date back to 1066. No wonder our expert on residents' rights, Bob Smytherman from the Federation of Private Residents' Associations (FPRA), told us the system has got to change.
He told us that there needs to be a clear regulatory code and a clear legal frame work, with minimum standards. This would mean if you move into a leasehold property you know what you can expect from the person responsible for the building in which you live.
Kat Callo is an expert in leasehold property and told us there are ways for residents to rid themselves of their management company. However, she also mentioned that it does take a little bit of work, with residents having to get organised. The process she told us about is called 'Right to Manage' (RTM) and requires at least half of all flats in the building participate. The idea is that once you've finished the process you create your own 'right to manage' company and can get rid of the current managing agents and can instruct a different one
Also joining us was property lawyer Steve Nicholson. He told us that it's unfortunate that although the law gives residents a remedy in certain respects, it's not always an effective remedy - particularly when looking at the cost of issuing court proceedings.
If you were paying any other company for a service they weren't delivering, you would show them the door - sharpish. Should it really be any different with a management company? It's your home and your money, so it should be your right to make sure they do what you pay them for.
Expert advice
For more information on the various ways you can challenge your management company and general information about the industry, watch tips from the property experts.
And come back to this page at 9pm to watch a video with Andrew McKeer from with the Association of Residential Managing Agents.
Property management fees