MP to raise Property Management concerns in Parliament

17th October 2013
MP to raise Property Management concerns in Parliament

Gordon Henderson MP is to raise in Parliament concerns he has about the way some property management companies operate.

Mr Henderson has tabled a Parliamentary Question asking ministers to undertake a review of the level of service offered to home owners on housing estates by property management companies.

This follows a rise in complaints received by Mr Henderson from residents on some of the borough’s new estates about the level of service they receive for the charges they pay.

Property management companies can be responsible for services, such as landscaping, window cleaning and the cost of utilities.

Members of Mr Henderson’s staff have had meetings with residents at Great Easthall, as well as the residents living in the apartments at The Meads, both in Sittingbourne, to discuss the issues they were experiencing. Mr Henderson then wrote to the property management companies for their comments. Whilst a number of issues have now been resolved, others are still outstanding and some residents are considering taking legal advice.

Mr Henderson said,

“Residents pay service charges for their property management companies to keep their new developments well maintained to a high standard and so I have been concerned to receive so many complaints about alleged poor service.

“My staff and I have been trying to resolve as many of the issues as possible and I have submitted a parliamentary question to the Department of Communities and Local Government to ask them to undertake a review of the services provided by property management companies as I am concerned they will put people off from buying properties on new developments.”

Mr Henderson has taken up issues so far with Countrywide Estate Management, Countryside Properties Ltd and HML Andertons. If there are any other residents of Sittingbourne and Sheppey experiencing problems with a property management company please contact Jess McMahon, Mr Henderson’s Office Manager, on 01795 423199 or by email on [email protected].