Property Management and Maintenance

Individual property and freehold block management
In house maintenance and decoration services for flats and blocks
Expertise in service charges, ground rent collection and building administration
In house legal services

Astberrys offer landlords a managed letting service. We use our own maintenance personnel. Our charges for all routine work are fixed and are currently:

Service	Per hour	Subsequent hour
Electrical	£100	£75
Plumbing	£90	£50
Carpentry	£75	£45
Tiling/Masonry	£75	£45
Painting	£60	£35
Odd Jobs	£50	£25

At Astberrys we are careful to ensure that any properties we let and manage are and remain in good condition. A particular feature of our managed service at 15% plus VAT of the rent is access to our own in house maintenance team. We rarely rely on outside trades. We are competitive and reliable. In the event of a maintenance problem your tenant does not have to wait for service and a happy tenant pays the rent. We maintain a clear and straightforward pricing structure. You know exactly what you will be charged for all maintenance costing up to £500, (in excess of that sum we quote for any works).

Increasingly we manage flats in blocks where we are also the managing agents and vice versa. This has an added advantage to you as landlord in that you deal with only one agent for everything.

We carry out repairs and maintenance so as to ensure, that your tenant remains in your property for as long as possible without bothering you. We also have in place an accurate and clear system to account to you for all money spent. Between lettings we can swiftly re fresh you flat, if required so as to ensure it stands out from others on the market and quickly attracts another good quality tenant.

Sometimes, especially with an older rental property more extensive works may be required to bring it up to the standard of comparable housing stock. In such a case we can carry out all necessary works from installing a new bathroom to complete refurbishment.

In addition to our own contractors we have access to a wide network of specialist skills for entry phones, satellite dishes, slate roofing, lead work and all major joinery. And we will arrange for the provision of Gas Safety and Energy Performance Certificates without which we cannot let your property.

We also act as managing agents for blocks of flats. As members of ARLA we have fully insured client accounts in which we place all service charge funds held on trust for the tenants of any block managed by us. We will collect ground rent and service charges in accordance with the lease of each flat owner and all statutory requirements, click on the Newsletter for New Year 2012. We manage the legal process necessary before undertaking any major works on a block of flats, click on the Newsletter for January/February/March 2011. We will also ensure, that you are advised of any relevant health and safety legislation. We have excellent contacts with surveyors and insurance brokers and we are FSA authorised to conduct insurance mediation activities. The block may also benefit from our own in house maintenance and contractor services, if desired. Our standards are high.

Should service charge, enfranchisement, party wall or other property related disputes arise then individual landlords, letting through us and the freeholders of blocks managed by us may have the benefit of immediate in house legal advice and/or if appropriate referral to specialist landlord and tenant barristers under the Bar's direct access scheme.