Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some FAQs, however if your question is not covered here, please contact us at WPP 

How do I know what my service charge is spent on?

Statments of anticipated annual expenditure are circulated prior to financial years commencing.

What happens if I can't afford to pay my service charge?

We recognise that personal circumstances change and some property owners may find that they have difficulty in meeting service charge payment obligations. In the first instance please contact our Customer Services team to discuss payment options or email us using our feedback form on the Contact Us page, particularly if you have received a letter from our Credit Control department.

What should I do if I want to discuss a maintenance or accounts problem?

Initially, please contact our Customer Services advisors who will liaise with the Property Manager responsible for your building.

Tel: 029 2023 5151 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm)

Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

All communication received from customers is recorded on our property management system database. The recording of information, allows us to ensure that responses are issued in a timely manner, even when individual staff members are on annual leave. It means that we at WPP can often resolve complaints straight away, without having to contact the Property Manager.

 Can I pay in instalments?

 Yes, monthly payments are totally acceptable. Each leaseholder has a unique reference number with which to pay.

 Why are invoices issued to leaseholders when they pay by standing order?

All invoices for service charges (and where applicable ground rents) are due on specified dates within the year in accordance with the terms of your lease. Although the account may be settled monthly by standing order, we will always provide a demand for payment by the respective due dates. Those with monthly arrangements will receive the invoices for information only.

I am going to sell my property before the year-end date on the invoice; do I still have to pay?

Yes. As the leaseholder of the property when the invoice was issued, the payment is due from you in full. You should request a receipt when you pay as your solicitor will require this and will obtain a refund from your purchaser or a contribution to the cost you have incurred (this is known as apportionment). If you are completing a sale prior to the beginning of the invoice period, please pass the invoice to your solicitor so that they become aware of it. For most sales, solicitors write to ask us if there are any payments outstanding. If you have not paid or you have arrears it is possible that this may delay your sale.

The invoice received is not in my name. Why? And what is my liability?

This occasionally occurs when a sale has taken place and your solicitor has not registered the assignment with us as required under the terms of your Lease. You should contact your solicitor immediately to ensure that the position is amended. 

Until registration has taken place, we are unable to amend the records relating to your property. However, as the leaseholder, you are responsible for the charges and should pay these even though you may be resolving matters with your solicitor.

Can I keep a pet? If so, is there a charge for this?

Some Leases have an absolute ban on any pets, or certain specified animals. Other Leases allow pets provided consent is obtained beforehand. In these cases a written consent is required as this can be revoked if deemed necessary.

Should it be relevant, the Disability Discrimination Act enables guide dogs to dwell within properties. 

There is a leak into my property from the flat above, what should I do?

In the first instance, we suggest you should make contact with the flat above. Quite often, the residents will be unaware of the fault and will be happy to rectify the problem straight away. Should you experience difficulty making contact with the flat in question, please contact our Customer Services team who will contact the owner of the property advising them that there is an apparent leak. Regrettably, Western Permanent Property cannot carry out any repairs to pipe work falling within the responsibility of individual owners. 

Should there be any damage caused to your property and you wish to make a claim on the block buildings insurance, please contact our Customer Services Team who will provide you with the necessary information.

I have nuisance / noisy neighbours, what can I do?

Noise from TVs, Hi-Fis, party guests leaving the property etc. can be very frustrating, particularly late at night or in the early hours of the morning. Persistent noise nuisance is best dealt with by your local Environmental Health Department which has the necessary powers to deal with this and whose involvement usually provides a speedy resolution although we will communicate with the residents breaching the terms of the lease as well.

Why do I pay buildings insurance, I have my own policy?

Under the terms of most leases the management scheme is required to insure the whole building / estate. Personal belongings and home contents are not covered. Where your bank or building society has required you to insure through them, you should obtain from us a copy of the insurance summary details and current schedule.

People are parking in my allocated bay, what can I do?

Whilst we cannot police individual parking spaces, in many cases the engagment of parking enforcement services can be considered.

I own the freehold to my property. Why do I have to pay service charges as owners of leasehold properties do?

If you purchase a freehold property, you will own the home and the land it is built on. There may however be a freehold company that owns the estate areas, such as communal car parking or garden areas, which we at WPP have been appointed to maintain and for which service charges are due.

What is a 'Balancing Service Charge / Year End Adjustment'?

There is frequently an adjustment to the service charge after the year end as it is unlikely that our estimate will exactly equal the amount expended during the year. This adjustment can be a credit if we over estimate or a debit if we under estimate. If we under estimate; an invoice will be dispatched to you for the balance due. If we over estimate, the adjustment is credited to your account with this helping reduce the future charge.

What are ‘Reserve Funds’ and what happens to the money collected?

It is common sense and good practice to save for future known large expenditure matters such as re-roofing, re-carpeting and re-decoration notwithstanding having funds for unexpected concerns such as emergency roofing works requiring scaffold installation and serviceable parts failing such as water pumps or gate motors.

An amount is collected each year so that money is accumulated and available to meet either significant unexpected expenditure or other periodic repair or renewals. 

The process also helps to ensure fairness, so that every leaseholder is making an annual contribution to future major works costs, even if no work is carried out whilst that leaseholder is in occupation. The leaseholder therefore shares the cost of parts of the building or equipment wearing out relative to the period he or she was a leaseholder. 

The money is held in the same way as other service charge funds, in a dedicated trust account with any interest being for the benefit of the reserve fund. The funds can only be spent on your development.

I was not living in my property for the period on the invoice; do I still have to pay?

As the current leaseholder, you are now liable for making this payment. However, your solicitor should have made arrangements to cover this contingency, usually by retaining an amount of the money due to the person who sold the property to you. You should check this with your solicitor.

I am not satisfied with the service I have received. How do I make a formal complaint?

We aim to do our best to provide a good service, in a polite, efficient and fair way but we understand that sometimes the best laid plans can go wrong. 

We take all complaints about our service very seriously indeed and will endeavour to deal with your complaint promptly. To ensure that we have all the facts necessary to investigate your complaint, we ask that you follow a simple step-by-step procedure, which will enable us to expedite your complaint to a mutually satisfactory resolution. 

Please contact us should you wish to initiate a formal complaint

What do I do if I want to sub-let my property? Why do I have to pay in some circumstances?

If you’re looking to rent your property you should be aware that most leasehold properties require consent to sublet; full details of your obligations will be contained in the terms of your lease. If this is the case then please contact us with a written application form, as we are obliged to have full details of tenants in order to comply with the lease terms of the building or development. 

Most Leases state that you should obtain consent and that the sub-tenant should enter into a 'direct deed of covenant' to ensure the sub-tenant complies with the general terms and regulations contained within the Lease. 

Please note you need to pay reasonable solicitor's costs for the preparation and completion of the 'deed of covenant' and that there will be an administrative charge for the issue of the appropriate consent. These fees are set out within the application form. 

In order to protect the other residents in the building and to comply with the terms of the Lease, references are required and the letting must be to a specific person.

Can you help find a tenant for my property?

We can help you find the ideal tenants and manage the lettings process through another independent locally based company, ACJ Properties. Please contact them directly 029 2041 5161 advising you have been referred by WPP as the building is managed by us..

ACJ Properties is experienced in lettings for every size and type of property being a recognised member of Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). Cross referencing with us at WPP will help ensure that both the individual unit and property as a whole is managed as effectively as possible.

To find out more please visit their website www.acjproperties.com