FAQs
- Introduction
At East Block Group Limited, we are committed to providing excellent service to all our clients. However, we understand that there may be times when you are dissatisfied with the service you have received. In such cases, we encourage you to raise your concerns with us so that we can address them promptly and effectively. This procedure sets out the steps you should take if you wish to make a complaint about any aspect of our service.
- How to Make a Complaint
You can make a complaint by contacting us in any of the following ways:
By telephone: 01206 646 200
By email: enquiries@eastblockgroup.co.uk
In writing: 22 Mayfly Way, Old Ipswich Road, Colchester, C07 7WX
When making a complaint, please provide us with as much information as possible about the issue you are concerned about. This will help us to understand the nature of the problem and respond to it more effectively.
- Initial Response
Upon receiving your complaint, we will acknowledge it within 5 working days. We will aim to provide a full response to your complaint within 28 working days of receiving it. If we are unable to provide a full response within this timeframe, we will inform you of the reasons for the delay and provide you with an estimated timescale for when you can expect a response.
- Investigating Your Complaint
We will investigate your complaint thoroughly and impartially. We may need to contact you for further information or to arrange a visit to your property if necessary. We will keep you informed of the progress of our investigation and provide you with regular updates.
- Our Response
Once we have completed our investigation, we will provide you with a full response to your complaint. If we find that we have made a mistake, we will apologize and take appropriate steps to rectify the situation. If we find that we have not made a mistake, we will explain our decision and provide you with our reasons for it.
- Escalation
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to a more senior member of staff within the company. They will review your complaint and provide you with a response within 10 working days.
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
If you are still not satisfied with our response, you may wish to pursue alternative dispute resolution options such as mediation or arbitration. We will provide you with information about these options if you request it.
- Further Steps
If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you may wish to take further steps such as contacting the Property Ombudsman or seeking legal advice. We will provide you with information about these options if you request it.
More details can be found here www.gov.uk/government/publications/residential-long-leaseholders-a-guide-to-your-rights-and-responsibilities.
Ground rent is a regular payment made by the leaseholder (the person who owns a flat on a lease) to the freeholder (the person who owns the land the block is built on).
The service charge demand should not include ground rent which will be invoiced separately, either by the freeholder or the management company if they are required under the terms of the Lease to do so.
When you sell your property the buyer and the buyers lender, via the solicitors, will require evidence of the following:-
- Evidence of current service charges paid and the monthly/annual charge. The solicitors will apportion the annual charge between the seller and buyer. The annual charge is usually calculated on anticipated expenditure, and the solicitor will agree a retention to ensure the outgoing seller pays for any additional service charges due after the end of year accounts are produced. The retention is held on account by the solicitor and may be used if the new buyer receives a demand for additional charges incurred prior to ownership. Information is provided about monies held for service charges for future maintenance
- Anticipated future works also known as major works are important for a buyer as they will need to understand what maintenance costs they are going to be liable for. This could include a Planned Preventative Maintenance report
- The last three years of accounts pertaining to the management company show how the service charge has performed.
- It is important that the building is insured. A lender will require evidence and a copy of the policy schedule and wording should be provided
- Any leaseholder disputes are listed along with any current action being taken in relation to enfranchisement (someone buying the freehold), extension of the lease, right to manage or right to enfranchise company
- Costs the buyer will have to pay the freeholder after completion.
This information is used to prove that both your Ground Rent and Service Charge have been paid
Right to Manage v Recognised Tenants Association the available options if there is not a registered Management Company in place
Before you go any further, give some thought to how you want the building to be managed in future:
Right to Manage (RTM)
What it is:
- A legal right for leaseholders of flats in a building to take over the management of their block without having to prove fault on the part of the current landlord or managing agent.
Legal basis:
- Established under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002.
Who can use it:
- Leaseholders (not tenants with short-term or assured tenancies) who live in qualifying blocks of flats.
Requirements:
- At least 50% of the leaseholders in the block must participate.
- The building must meet specific criteria (e.g., the block must be self-contained, have at least two flats, and no more than 25% of the building can be non-residential).
What it allows:
- Leaseholders form a Right to Manage company (RTM company).
- The RTM company can take over services like maintenance, repairs, and insurance from the landlord or managing agent.
Limitations:
- Does not transfer ownership—only management rights.
- The landlord retains the right to be a member of the RTM company.
Recognised Tenants’ Association (RTA)
What it is:
- A formally recognised group of tenants (including leaseholders and sometimes renters) in a building who act collectively to represent their interests to the landlord.
Legal basis:
- Governed under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
Who can use it:
- Tenants and leaseholders (both can be members).
- Recognition can be given by the landlord or formally granted by the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).
Requirements:
- Typically, 60% of tenants in the building must be members for the Tribunal to consider granting recognition.
What it allows:
- The RTA has legal rights to:
- Be consulted on major works and service charges.
- Request information from the landlord (e.g., accounting, maintenance plans).
- Represent tenants in disputes or negotiations.
Limitations:
- An RTA cannot take over the management of the property.
- It can only advocate and consult, not manage.
Your property is part of a building or development with shared areas for which you have promised to pay a service charge (leasehold property) and a variable rent charge (freehold property).
Your Lease or Transfer document, registered at the Land Registry, sets out the services and the amount of your contribution either by percentage relevant to the size and tenure of your property, or equal share.
Service charges payable by Leaseholders can include:-
- Insurance for the building of which the property forms part, and liability insurance for the grounds that are shared by all the occupiers including 5 – 7 year insurance reinstatement valuation of the building
- Mechanical parts insurance and maintenance contracts, i.e. gates, lifts, water features and pumps
- Directors and officers insurance to protect the Directors of the Management Company
- Maintenance and cleaning of common parts (grounds, stairways, bin stores, access roads and paths, gardens, bike sheds etc)
- Window cleaning
- Electricity and water used in common parts
- Security and lighting
- Internal (including floor coverings) and external decoration of the building
- Annual health and safety / fire inspections, asbestos register, accident records
- Annual service charge accounts and company secretarial work
- The Managing Agents charges for the above
Rent charges payable by Freeholders can include:-
- Mechanical parts insurance and maintenance contracts, i.e. gates, water features and pumps
- Directors and officers insurance to protect the Directors of the Management Company
- Maintenance and inspections of common parts (grounds, access roads and paths)
- Annual service charge accounts and company secretarial work
- The Managing Agents charges for the above
Fire doors are specially designed doors that help prevent the spread of fire and smoke within a building. They are a crucial part of a building’s passive fire protection system, which means they work even when no one is around to activate them. Here’s a clear breakdown of what they are and how they work:
What is a Fire Door?
A fire door is a door made from fire-resistant materials, such as solid timber or metal, that is built to withstand fire for a set period of time—commonly 30 minutes (FD30) or 60 minutes (FD60). These doors are rigorously tested and certified to meet specific standards (e.g., BS 476 or EN 1634-1 in the UK).
How Do Fire Doors Work?
Fire doors are designed to contain fire and smoke in one area, protecting escape routes and limiting property damage. They work through several key components:
- Fire-Resistant Core and Materials
- The door is made of materials that resist high temperatures without losing structural integrity.
- Often filled with a solid core such as wood composite, mineral core, or steel.
- Intumescent Strips
- These are fitted around the edges of the door or frame.
- In a fire, they expand (up to 10x their size) to seal gaps between the door and frame, blocking smoke and fire.
- Smoke Seals
- Often combined with intumescent strips, these stop smoke from passing through the edges of the door before the fire reaches high temperatures.
- Self-Closing Mechanism
- Fire doors must automatically close behind people to contain the fire.
- This is done using door closers, either surface-mounted or concealed.
- Certified Fire-Rated Hardware
- Hinges, locks, handles, and even glazing must be fire-rated.
- Glass panels in fire doors are made from fire-resistant glass, which can withstand heat without shattering.
Where Are Fire Doors Used?
- Escape routes (corridors, stairwells)
- Flats and apartments: front doors to each flat should be fire-rated
- Shared areas in HMOs (houses in multiple occupation)
- Plant rooms or boiler rooms
- Communal areas in commercial and residential buildings
Why Are Fire Doors Important?
- Life safety: They give occupants time to escape by containing fire and smoke.
- Legal compliance: Under UK fire safety regulations (e.g., Fire Safety Order 2005, Building Regulations Part B), buildings must have adequate fire compartmentation.
- Insurance and liability: Failure to maintain fire doors can lead to legal and financial consequences.
Fire Door Best Practices
- Never wedge them open unless they are fitted with a certified hold-open device.
- Inspect regularly for damage, wear, or warping.
- Ensure closers work and doors latch fully.
- Check for certification labels on the top edge of the door.
There are various components which make up a fire door; you will typically be able to identify the following:
- Door leaf this is the door itself which must be manufactured and certified with a suitable fire rating to the building it will be contained in.
- Door frame this must be compatible with its counterpart, the door leaf, and fitted correctly to ensure the gaps are appropriate and meet the size needed to fullfill its function.
- Smoke/Fire seals these should fill all of the gaps around the door leaf when closed.
- Intumescent strips unlike smoke seals which retain their current form at all times around the frames of fire doors to block fire and smoke, intumescent strips expand when exposed to extreme heat, further sealing the gap around the door frame.
- Hinges “ these must have the correct fixings in the right locations, as well have appropriate hinge pads, to ensure the door opens and closes efficiently.
- Door closer this is another facilitator to ensure the door closes automatically; you will usually see a metal box attached to an arm behind the fire door at the top (which often goes unnoticed!), although not all fire doors have a door closing mechanism.
- Latch/lock (to ensure that the fire door remains closed) this is also fitted within intumescent protection for fire/smoke resistance.
- Threshold seals“ this closes the gap underneath the door leaf when closed.
- Signage (clearly indicating that it is a fire door so they should be kept shut) you will usually see a blue circular sign on a fire door indicating that it is a fire door and must be kept shut.
Some fire doors also have glazed panels and must be suitably fire resistant, as well as fitted with intumescent glazing seals. Air grilles are also used where extra ventilation is required, which are then designed to close if the fire alarm is activated. You may also see on some fire doors additional ironmongery such as push bars and push pads to provide easy escape in an emergency.
In reality, people are more often affected by smoke before the fire itself. Fire doors are a lifesaver in this scenario because they can withstand smoke and fire. The smoke seals, for example, around the door edge and frame seal the gaps to prevent the smoke getting through, preventing smoke inhalation. Similarly, intumescent strips expand to several times their original size when exposed to heat to seal the gaps around the door to contain the fire and smoke.
They are an extremely important part of your buildings fire safety strategy.
Yes! The Fire Safety Act 2021, which applies to all non-domestic, domestic communal areas, and the individual apartment entrance door that leads on to an internal communal area, stipulates that the Responsible Person (typically a building owner, manager or flat owner) must undertake steps to remove and reduce fire risks. This includes duties such as carrying out a Fire Risk Assessment and conducting recommendations from the assessment to enable a safe and legal environment, as well as offering adequate fire safety training for staff members in commercial settings.
New buildings or older buildings which have undergone an alteration or extension are also subject to Building Regulations (also known as Approved Documents) which is a rule book for legal compliance which builders must follow, whilst existing buildings are subject to the RRO as mentioned above.
Then there are various codes outlined by British Standards for the design, installation and maintenance of fire doors:
The BS 8214:2008 provides guidelines on the specifications of fire door assembly and recommendations for inspections.
The BS 9999:2009 offers a code of practice for building design and management, which takes into account emergency exits for disabled and vulnerable persons. This can be referred to for the design of new buildings, as well as extensions and alterations.
The BS 5839-1:2017 relates to the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire alarm systems. This applies to fire doors in relation to Door Hold Open devices, for instance where the fire alarm has an operational cause-and-effect to immediately shut all fire doors in the event the alarm is activated.
Failure to take adequate action in installing and maintaining fire doors within your building places lives at risk and can result in prosecution.
British Standards (namely BS 8214 and BS 9999) recommend having a fire door maintenance service/inspection every six months, annually for apartment doors, however the best course of action is to have a risk-assessed recommendation which will be tailored specifically to your building or individual apartment requirements. For example, your premises may have a higher footfall than others and may require more frequent inspections. Your Fire Risk Assessor will tell you how often your fire doors should be serviced during your Fire Risk Assessment.
Following the Grenfell Fire in 2017, remediation projects and investigations in both passive and active fire protection are taking place across the UK. The Fire Industry Association noted following one building surveyors findings that there was a distinct lack of maintenance records, missing or incorrect fire escape signage, and even cases where fire doors had been locked or had the intumescent seals painted over, which completely negates their use.
So, without regular inspections, your fire doors could be completely ineffective without your knowledge. Simply having fire doors in place does not mean that they are in good working order like everything, it needs maintaining.
Like all of your passive and active fire safety equipment within your building, it should be maintained by a competent accredited specialist who holds the appropriate insurances and UKAS accreditation. This means their practices are audited by third-party certification schemes and follow British Standards.
Always remember to ask for accreditation to ensure the provider you choose is trustworthy and competent to service your buildings fire doors, and retain the service reports for your records as evidence of your due diligence to keep your building safe and legal.
Something that is largely overlooked is checking fire doors in-between services. We recommend that weekly checks are carried out for obstructions to fire doors (and also if any are being left open!) and visual inspection for any damage to hinges, ensuring they close properly without sticking on the frame. Any damage should be reported immediately to your fire door maintenance provider for repair.
Useful observations and questions to ask yourself when carrying out your weekly fire door checks include:
- Does the fire door shut fully and tightly on its own using its self-closing device?
- Is the self-closing device damaged in any way? (E.g. is it leaking oil and is the arm secure and functional?)
- Is the gap between the door lead and the door frame less than 4mm?
- Is the door leaf and door frame in good condition and undamaged?
- Do the hinges appear to be loose or damaged?
- Are all handles secure and functioning without any issues?
- Are intumescent and smoke seals in good condition (i.e. not missing, damaged or painted over)?
- Is the door marked with the appropriate signage to indicate it is a fire door?
- Are any fire doors being obstructed or left open?
Fire doors are needed in all public, commercial and multiple occupancy buildings. (So, you wont, for instance, need fire doors in your typical family house but you will need them in a block of flats.)
For domestic dwellings more than two storey high, a fire door is required on every level to separate the stairwell from every habitable room. They are also needed in loft conversions and between a house and an integral garage.
For mixed-use buildings, you will need a fire door to separate non-domestic (business) areas from domestic (residential) parts of the building.
For non-domestic buildings, its a little more complicated as each building is different. Guidance states the building is divided into separate sections for horizontal and vertical escape routes. This is usually factored into the make-up of the buildings design before its even built.
