When the unexpected happens, it is good to have someone by your side to support you.
As a managing agent, we work with you to ensure that the communal areas of your property are well maintained and the utilities all function as expected. We do this through proactive and planned maintenance.
However, sometimes things occur that simply could not have been foreseen. When it does, our property managers are there and will do everything in their power to resolve the issue as quickly and painlessly as possible.
What is considered emergency maintenance?
Of course, not everything that occurs in the communal areas of a residential block property is considered an emergency. To help you know when you might need to contact us, we thought it would be helpful to clarify what we consider an emergency maintenance to be.
Generally speaking, any maintenance issue that has the potential to cause either injury, significant damage to the property or may be considered a threat to the general health and safety of the leaseholders or visiting guests, can be considered an emergency. Some of the maintenance concerns we consider as emergency items are outlined below.
- Fire
- Flooding
- Unsecured communal doors
- Full/Partial Electrical Power Failure
- Communal alarms
- Out of service lifts
- Serious structural defects, especially to the roof cladding, masonry or walls
- Overflowing sewage
- Blocked access to/from the property by a damaged gate/barrier or fallen trees
- Spillage of hazardous materials
- Gas escape
- Loss of water
What we will do to help
Once we have been informed that there is a maintenance emergency, our team of Property Management experts will liaise with appropriate contractors to arrange for the issue to be resolved as quickly as possible.
If it is believed that the emergency has affected the structure of the property, our team of building surveyors are on hand to assess the affected area and make appropriate recommendations.
Consistent communication is a foundational aspect of our property management service. We know how frustrating it can be not to know what is going on, so we provide regular updates to the affected parties until the issue has been resolved.
By way of example, when one of the properties we manage in Swiss Cottage was affected by flooding due to a burst water main towards the end of last year, our property management team took calls and emails from residents, updating them on progress and advising them to pay attention to relevant websites. In addition, we made contact with Thames Water for regular updates, keeping our clients and their leaseholders informed until water was restored.
Please do bear in mind though that, depending on the nature of the emergency, it may be advisable to call one of the Emergency Services first, for instance the Fire Brigade in the event of a fire, or the National Grid 24 hour Emergency line if you smell gas.
What if it is out of office hours?
Of course, our hardworking team also need some downtime, but that doesn’t mean we leave you stranded! Our Out of Hours Help Desk is available whenever our office is closed.
This service is manned by an experienced team who will liaise with relevant contractors while our Property Managers are unavailable. Their first port of call will be to instruct contractors who know your buildings from past maintenance works.
Should those contacts not be available, then our Out of Hours Help Desk will instruct a Contractor from an approved and carefully vetted Contractor list. As soon as the office opens again, our Property Management team will take over, having already been fully appraised of the situation.
Want to know more?
As experienced Property Managers with over 25 years of experience working in the London property market, the safety and comfort of your leaseholders is our primary concern. Speak to our team of experts on 0800 071 5517 to find out more.
Alternatively email admin@awh.co.uk and a member of our team will get back to you right away. We look forward to working with you.