Property Management (Level 3) Flashcards
Professional Standard - What is included in Service Charges in Commercial Property (2018)?
- Introduction
- Mandatory requirements
- Core Principles
- Best Practice
- Appendix A: Compliance Checklist
- Appendix B: Cost classifications
- Appendix C: Sample Report
- Appendix D: Handover Procedures
Professional Standard - What are the 9 principles of Service Charges in Commercial Property (2018)
- Recover no more than 100% of costs
- Expenditure recovered in accordance with lease
- Budgets must be issued annually / Budgets include explanatory comments
- Service charge monies held in one or more discrete bank account
- Reconciliation provided annually
- Service charge apportionment matrix issued annualls
- All interest earned, credited to service charge accounts, after appropriate deductions (tax etc)
- Service charge disputes should only reflect the sums in dispute
- Incorrect service charges adjusted without delay
Professional Standard - What is Real Estate Management (2016) and what is the structure?
Professional Standard - Mandatory
Introduction
Ethics
Securing Instructions - terms of engagement
Leasing - negotiation / heads of terms
Management - rent, repairs, insurance, service charge
Asset/Portfolio Management
Terminating Instructions - written confirmation, handover
H&S - data protection / H&S
Business Mnaagement - PII, CHP, Clients Money
Professional Standard - What are some of the core principles in Real Estate Management (2016)?
- There are 12 core principles
- Honesty, fairness, transparency
- Act with due skill and diligence
- Terms of Engagement + CHP
- Do not discriminate
- Ensure client money is held separately
- Appropriate PII cover
Professional Standard - Prior to accepting an instruction, what should real estate managers do according to Real Estate Management (2016)?
- Conflict of Interest check
- Written permission to act on their behalf
- Confirm identity of client (Bribery, Corruption, Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, 2019).
Professional Standard - Upon receiving management instruction, what should members do according to Real Estate Management (2016)?
- Communicate with client, discuss requirements
- Agree level of feedback and reporting
- Agree Terms of Engagement (PMA)
o Scope
o Fees
o Duration
o Business terms
o Exclusions
o Jurisdiction details - Sign and date Terms of Engagement before providing to client
- Give client opportunity to negotiate terms
Professional Standard - How would you instruct a sub agent under Real Estate Management (2016)?
- Ensure client permission
- Could be seen as breach without
Professional Standard - What are vulnerable customers in Real Estate Management (2016)
- Customer with specific needs
- Must not discriminate
Guidance Note - What is Commercial Property Management in England & Wales, 2011
- Best practice for commercial property managers
- advice on property manager core duties, including rent collection, service charges, managing buildings, H&S, and procurement of third-party suppliers.
- summary of all relevant statute law and a model term of engagement.
Guidance Note - What is included in Commercial Property Management (2011)?
- Property manager core duties
- Appendix A – Legislation
- Appendix B – Property management contract
Legislation - Name all key legislation relevant to property management under Commercial Property Management (2011)
Landlord and Tenant Act 1995
Abolishment of privity of contract for assignments
Landlord and Tenant Act 1954
security of tenure
Landlord and Tenant Act 1988
Applies where tenancy includes a covenant that a occupier cannot assign, sublet etc without consent
Landlord must either give consent or give written notice not to consent
Energy Performance of Building Regulations 2012
Landlord must present an occupier with valid EPC certificate
EPC must be compliant and valid
Construction Design Management Regulations 2015
Appointment must ensure competency
Fire Safety Order 2005
Responsible person (person in control of premise) must take fire precautions
Fire Risk Assessments
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
Obligation on duty holder to carry out sufficient assessments
The Defective Premises Act 1972
Duty of care on landlord to prevent injury on premises by ensuring proper maintenance
Transfer of Undertaking Employment Regulations (TUPE)
Protect employees during transfer of any business, including a service charge provision change
Applies when change in service provision e.g. if new cleaning contract is adopted, employees of previous contractor may be transferred.
E.g. intu shopping centres!
Data Protection Act 2018
Regulates processing of information relating to individuals
Personal dats must not be processed by data controller unless an entry is made on register
Register maintained by information commissioner
Equality Act 2010
Have regard to socio-economic inequalities, discrimination, victimisation
Relates also to supply of services.
Alienation - What is the difference between Assignment and Sub-letting
Assignment - Contractual relationship between assignee and landlord (privity of contract)
Subletting – Contractual relationship between former tenant and landlord
Alienation - What is assignment?
- Lease transferred to another tenant (3rd party)
- Landlord will not want assignment to weaker covenant.
- Pre 1995, the assigning tenant remained liable for assigning tenant
- Post 1995, the Act abolished privity of contract, releasing tenant from liability of assignee’s performance.
- The 1995 Act allows an AGA to be put in place, where the outgoing tenant guarantees the lease obligations of the new tenant (immediate assignee).
- AGA only lasts until assignee assigns the lease to another party.
- The landlord can request reasonable conditions on assignments, such as financial checks. If conditions not met, the landlord can reasonably refuse assignment.
Alienation - What is subletting?
- Sublease granted from original tenant to sub-tenant
- Original Landlord-tenant relationship remains intact
- Contractual chain remains between landlord and tenant.
Alienation - How quickly would you respond to application to sublet?
- Under 1988 Act Have to deal with application promptly
- Reasonable timescale
- Typically 7 days
Alienation - What does the 1995 Covenants Act do?
- Abolition of privity of contract
- Authorised Guarantee Agreement (AGA)
- Reasonable conditions for assignment
Alienation - What is Alienation?
Ability to sub-let or assign a lease
Alienation - Who pays rent after a lease is sublet?
Subtenant pays, former tenant, who pays landlord
Alienation - Who pays rent after a lease is assigned?
Assignee pays Landlord rent
Alienation - What types of alienation clauses can leases have?
Open, qualified, absolute
- open allows alienation
- qualified subject to Landlord consent
- absolute now allowed.
Alienation - What is the typical clause relating to alienation regarding consent?
Landlord consent is not to be unreasonably witheld or delayed
Alienation - Why would you chose to sub-let over assign a lease?
- requirement of lease
- part of demise and not whole
- if Market Rent = Higher than Passing Rent = Profit Rent
- If tenant wants to re-occupy in future
- the new party is of lessor covenant strength
Alienation - How would you deal with an application to assign or sublet?
- Read the lease
- Undertaking for legal costs from tenant
- Is proposed rent the market rent or passing rent
- Impact on investment value of property
- Is alienation permitted? on what grounds?
- strength of covenant of new tenant?
- request accounts of incoming tenant
- rent deposit / AGA agreed?
- Provide client with written recomendation
- if consent granted, assignment or subletting will be granted
Alienation - What is the difference between an Authorised Guarantee Agreement (AGA) and privity of contract?
- Privity of Contract (pre-1995 Act) – binds original tenant for whole lease duration
- AGA (post-1995 Act) – binds original tenant to period assignee occupies.
Alienation - How long does an AGA remain in place?
- As long as the new tenant (assignee) remains in place
Alienation - How is an assignment documented?
The assignor and assignee enter into a Deed of Assignment, a legal document transferring all rights, obligations, and liabilities of the lease from the assignor to the assignee.
Alienation - What are the reasonable grounds for refusing consent for assignment?
- Lower covenant strength
- Different use
- Planning?
Alienation - How is a sublease documented?
The head tenant and subtenant enter into a Sublease Agreement, outlining the terms, duration, and rent payable. This agreement must comply with the terms of the original lease.
Alienation - What is a profit rent?
- when subletting a premise
- profit rent is gained by the original tenant
- difference between rent paid to landlord, and rent received from subtenant
Alienation - What is the difference between a lease and a licence?
A lease grants exclusive possession and a legal interest in the property for a fixed term, offering security of tenure and statutory protections.
In contrast, a license provides only permission to occupy without exclusive possession or legal interest, is flexible, and offers no statutory protections or security.
Alienation - What is exclusive posession?
Exclusive possession is the legal right of a tenant or occupier to have control over a property, allowing them to exclude others, including the landlord, from the premises. It is a key characteristic of a lease. Exclusive possession indicates that the tenant has control over who can enter or use the property during the term of the lease, and it distinguishes a lease from a license.
In contrast, with a license, the occupier does not have exclusive possession, meaning the licensor (landlord or owner) retains the right to enter and use the property as they see fit. Exclusive possession is often critical in determining whether an agreement is a lease or a license.
Alienation - What is privity of contract?
When a lease is created between a landlord and tenant, privity of contract exists between them, meaning both are bound by the terms of the lease (e.g., rent payments, repairs, etc.).
When a tenant assigns a lease to a new tenant (assignee), the privity of contract between the original tenant and landlord is typically broken. However, if an Authorised Guarantee Agreement (AGA) is in place, the original tenant can remain liable for the assignee’s obligations, despite the assignment.
Subletting does not affect privity of contract between the landlord and tenant. The tenant (sublessor) remains in privity of contract with the landlord, and a separate sublease is created between the sublessor and the subtenant.
Alienation - What is privity of estate?
Privity of estate refers to the legal relationship that exists between parties who have a direct interest in the same piece of property. e.g. typically between owner of land (landlord) and renter of land (tenant)
In the context of leases:
Privity of estate exists between a landlord and the current tenant in possession of the property, regardless of whether they are the original tenant or an assignee. This means that the parties are bound by the covenants that “touch and concern” the land, such as paying rent, maintaining the property, or repairing obligations, as these covenants relate directly to the use of the property.
When a lease is assigned to a new tenant, privity of estate between the landlord and the original tenant ends, and it transfers to the new tenant (assignee). The landlord and assignee now have privity of estate, meaning they are both bound by covenants related to the land.
However, privity of estate does not exist between a landlord and a subtenant. In subletting, the privity of estate remains between the landlord and the head tenant, while the subtenant is in privity of estate only with the head tenant.
Alienation - What are landlord remedies for illegal alienation?
forfeiture
damages
injunction
Alienation - What is the Landlord and Tenant Act 1995 (Covenants Act)
- relates to assignment of lease
- came into force on 1st January 1996 (‘called the new lease’)
- abolished privity of contract between original tenant and landlord after assignment of lease
- introduced AGA ‘authorised guarentee agreement’ in-place
- most recent former tenant only to guarentee performance of assignee
- voluntary arrangement
Alienation - How do you pursue arrears from an AGA?
- if lease has been assigned and AGA in place
- serve Section 17 (1995 Covenants Act) Notice upon guarantor within 6 months of tenant defaulting to require former tenant to pay arrears
- can only be 1 AGA in place at a time
Alienation - What does th Code for Leasing Business Premises (2020) say about assignments?
- although commonplace, tenants should not enter AGA if assignee is of stronger covenant, pays a rent deposit, and or a suitable guarantor
- leases should allow tenants to assign whole premise with landlord consent, which is not be be unreasonably witheld or delayed
- requirement for AGA should clearly be stated in lease
Alienation - What does th Code for Leasing Business Premises (2020) say about subletting?
- leases should allow subletting of whole premises and may allow subleases of part
- rent not less than market rent
- subleases should be on terms consistent with tenants own leases
- no security of tenure
Alterations - What are alterations?
- carried out by tenant during lease
- must be approved in writing subject to lease terms
- usually subject to reinstatement at end of lease
- some works such as demountable partioning may not require consent (always RtL)
Alterations - What is a Licence for Alterations?
- completed before works commence
- Obtain an undertaking of costs at commencement of instruction
- 2 useful functions: protect parties at rent revieew and dilapidations at end of lease
- most licences require tenant to reinstate at end of lease
Alterations - How would you deal with an application for consent for alterations?
- read the lease
- Real Estate Management (2016) respond within 5-days best practice
- landlord approval?
- ask for full set of plans and specification
- obtain undertaking of fees
- reinstatement required?
- financial bond required?
- planning consent and building regulations approval?
- Equality Act 2010 / CDM 2015 compliance?
- RAMS - risk assessment and method statement
- public liability insurance in-place?
- provide report to client and obtain instructions
- instruct client lawyer to prepare LTA
- inspect work to ensure they are as agreed
Alterations - If a lease prohibts improvements, what can tenants do?
Landlord and Tenant Act 1927
Section 19 Notice
- if lease prohibits improvements, 1927 act contain provisio that such works cannot be unreasonably witheld
- if Section 19 followed, Landlord may have to pay compensation for alterations that may constitute as improvements
Dilapidations - How do you deal with dilapidations?
- read the lease
- check lease terms to define repairing obligations
- check if any LTA was granted
- tenant typically required to return building to original state
Dilapidations - What are the tenants choices when it comes to dilapidations?
- undertake works themselves, or
- tenant pay settlement to landlord
breach + loss + evidence = recovery
Dilapidations - 3 forms of schedules?
Interim - served with at least 3 years remaining
Terminal - last 3 years of lease
Final - at or after lease expiry
Dilapidations - What is the format of a dilapidation schedule?
- outline repair obligations
- state the remedy and cost of breach
- loss of rent, if appropriate, over period to do the works
- Fees + VAT for claim for surveyors/lawyers
- Negotiations conducted without prejudice until settlement reached
- if agreement not reached, surveyor must prepare a Scott schedule for the Court/ADR, setting out a summary of the landlirds/tenants position
Dilapidations - What guidance is there on dilapidations?
RICS Professional Standard Dilapidations (2016)
- aims to reduce claims between landlords and tenants
- guidance on diminuation valuations
- interim and final claims guidance
- requires both parties to agree to timescales
- parties expect to make genuine endeavours to settle
- quantified demand is the complete statement of costs sought in damages
Dilapidations - What is a Section 18 Valuation (1927 Act)
Section 18 valuation (Landlord & Tenant Act 1927)
→ Limiting or defining the amount of damages that a landlord is able to recover for a breach of the tenants repairing covenant
- Intention to Redevelop:
- Dimunation in value e.g. if repairs are £100,000, but the property value has only reduced by £50,000. Tenant is only liable for £50,000
Dilapidations - What are reasons settlement is not agreed?
- lease not on FRI
- reinstatement not required
- schedule of condition limits repairing liability
- if building is to be demolished
- use of diminution in value cap
- tenant in adminstration
Insurance - Who is responsible for insurance?
Typically landlord to arrange and re-charge tenant
Insurance - What types of insurance typically required?
building insurance, public liability insurance, and professional indemnity insuranc
+ VAT
Insurance - what measurement is used for building reinstatement valuation
GIA
Insurance - What law relates to insurance?
Insurance Act 2016
Insurance - What is insurance premium tax?
tax levied on premiums?
Insurance - How do you deal with insurance?
RICS members must comply with relevant regulations such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK if they are involved in selling or recommending insurance products beyond property-related advisory.
Empty Buildings - What would you do if a building was empty?
- inform insurers
- vacant property inspections
- H&S and FRA risk assessment
- Seal letterbox to stop fly-tipping
- Planned maintenance programme
- Frost controls
- Boiler maintenance
- Maintain asbestos register
- Emergency light testing
- fire alarm testing
if squatters - inform bailiffs/police
Rent Collection - What are the fundamental principles of rent collection?
- accuracy
- timing
Rent Collection - When is rent paid?
Typically quarter days but read the lease
Rent Collection - When are Quarter days
25 March
24 June
29 September
25 December
Rent Collection - When do you charge interest on late payments
Typically state in lease timframe and interest due
typically say 2-4% above base rate of bank
Rent Collection - Do you charge VAT on rent?
- read the lease
- is property VAT elected
Rent Collection - Do you charge VAT on service charge?
- yes but read the lease
- is property VAT elected?
Rent Collection - What method do you use to collect rent?
- direct debit - receipt sets up
- standing order - the payer sets up
Rent Collection - What system do you have in place to ensure rent is only demanded where necessary
Monthly demand reports, check demand and authorise
Rent Collection - What happens if you accept rent from tenant whos lease is outside 1954 Act?
Could create new protected tenancy, security of tenure
Rent Arrears - What are warning signs of potential rent arrears?
- bounced cheques
- persistent late payments
- arrival of post-dated cheques
Rent Arrears - Talk me through how you would deal with a tenant in arrears?
- Read the lease to familiarise myself with tenants’ obligations, and any grace period.
- Arrange meeting with tenant (on-site if possible) to understand reasons for non-payment. Guage how well tenant is trading! Important to advise client on this.
- Speak to client and discuss reasons.
Rent Arrears - What do you do if a tenant becomes insolvent?
- Read the lease
- Check rent deposit
- Guarantors to pursue
- Contact administrators, submit claim for arrears (proof of debt form)
- Secure property
- Inform insurers
- Cannot take keys unless its for H&S purposes, confirmed in writing.
Rent Arrears - How would you check if there was a rent deposit?
- read the lease
- check rent deposit deed
- seperate rent deposit account with their name on it
rent deposits typically require tenant to top up after drawig down
Rent Arrears - How should rent demands be submitted?
- In-line with lease
- Timely manner
- Relevant taxation