Estate Management

IRPM - The Institute of Residential Property Management

Our Values

We provide dedicated, comprehensive management for long leasehold, residential blocks of apartments and houses. At Oakland, we know that our best recommendation is a satisfied customer. So, while we work hard to get your instruction, we work even harder to keep it.

We take great pride that this approach has meant our ongoing growth stems from repeated recommendations from our existing clients, many of whom have been with us for several years. These clients are more than willing to be a point of reference to potential clients who are considering entrusting us with the management of their property.

Oakland Residential Core Services

  • Annual Service Charge budgeting.
  • Reporting to directors (or agreed owners).
  • Company Secretarial duties.
  • Engaging other professional services when required.
  • Property ownership transfer enquiries (additional fees apply).
  • Where required, ensure suitable insurance at competitive premiums and assisting leaseholders with insurance claims.
  • Timely response to day to day correspondence.
  • Arranging and overseeing regular service contracts (cleaning, gardening, window cleaning etc).
  • Planning and approving cyclical maintenance.
  • Arranging day-to-day repairs & maintenance of communal areas.
  • Seeking competitive quotes and overseeing contractors for major works (Additional charges apply for Section 20 Consultation).
  • Paying contractors (30-day payment terms).
  • Keeping income and expenditure records for year-end accounts.
  • Collecting service charges and levies.
  • Firm but sympathetic recovery of Service Charges arrears.
  • Submitting accounts and documents to Independent Accountants for year-end accounts.
  • Arrange, chair & minute the Annual General and Extraordinary Meetings.
  • Monthly or Quarterly Site visits (as agreed).
  • Attending Directors meetings if required.

Looking After your Money

Each client of Oakland has its own individual bank account. Your client money is held separately from all other client money and from Oakland’s business account.

Our accounts team

  • complete all sales & purchase ledger and year end accounting.
  • ensure financial compliance with current legislation and the lease.
  • monitor income, expenditure and identify any arrears.
  • can provide directors with a running balance of their client account on request.

Each of our estate managers has a dedicated accounts team member who develops specific knowledge about your estate and builds a relationship with directors, leaseholders and your contractors.

We have an excellent relationship with our support team at Royal Bank of Scotland with whom we hold the portfolio of client bank accounts.

Credit Control

If there are arrears issues with the estate, we will prioritise this issue.

Day to day, we proactively manage the collection of service charges to help prevent leaseholders falling into arrears for example sending shortfall letters to leaseholders who haven’t updated their monthly payment amount and are at risk of slowly falling into arrears.

For more serious issues we operate a formal 3 stage arrears collection process. If we’re unable to contact the leaseholder by phone or this doesn’t resolve the issue 1st, 2nd, & 3rd stage letters are sent to the leaseholder.

Each letter clearly states what the leaseholder must do, the required timescales and what the next stage is if they fail to pay. We have an excellent relationship with debt recovery solicitors who will pursue the debt through the courts if required.

Our approach to debt collection is firm but fair, we work with leaseholders & directors to ensure practical solutions and the best outcome.