Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do if I want to sub-let my property? Why do I have to pay?

If you wish to sub-let your property, most Leases state that you should obtain consent and that the sub-tenant should enter into a 'direct deed of covenant' to ensure the sub-tenant complies with the general terms and regulations contained within the Lease. A standard application form can be sent to you upon request.

In order to protect the other residents in the building and to comply with the terms of the Lease, references are required and the letting must be to a specific person.

You are required to pay reasonable solicitor's costs for the preparation and completion of the 'deed of covenant' and an administration cost to us for dealing with this matter. These fees are set out within the application form.

I own a freehold house, why do I have to pay Solitaire?

Solitaire has been appointed to maintain any communal grounds i.e. car parks or landscaped areas, by the Freeholder of these areas. Your Transfer document will outline your requirement to contribute towards the maintenance of these areas.

Can I pay in instalments?

• We collect Service Charges in line with legal documents e.g. your Lease/Transfer. However, you may be able to pay by monthly instalments in certain circumstances.
• Requests for payment in monthly instalments will require a monthly Direct Debit Mandate to be completed. As these arrangements would be outside of the payment obligations outlined in your legal documents an administration charge of £15.00 (inclusive of VAT) is made to cover our additional administrative costs.
• Should you wish to find out more information or to take advantage of this, please contact our Customer Service team on 0845 034 5790.

I am going to sell my property before the year-end date on the invoice; do I still have to pay?

Yes. As the owner of the property when the invoice was issued, the payment is due from you in full. You should request a receipt when you pay as your solicitor will require this and will obtain a refund from your purchaser or a contribution to the cost you have incurred. If you are completing a sale prior to the beginning of the invoice period, pass the invoice to your solicitor so that he becomes aware of it. For most sales, solicitors write to ask us if there are any payments outstanding. If you have not paid it is possible that this may hold up your sale.

The invoice received is not in my name. Why? And what is my liability?

This usually occurs when a sale has taken place and your solicitor has not registered the assignment with us as required by your Lease. You should contact your solicitor immediately to ensure that the position is regularised.

Until registration has taken place, we are unable to amend the record relating to your property. However, as the owner, you are responsible for the charges and should pay these even though you may be resolving matters with your solicitor.

There is a leak into my property from the flat above, what should I do?

In the first instance, you should make contact with the flat above. Quite often, they are unaware of the fault and will rectify the problem straight away. Should you experience difficulty making contact with the offending flat, please contact us and we will happily write to the owner of the property advising them that there is a leak. Regrettably, Solitaire cannot carry out any repairs to pipe work falling within the responsibility of individual owners.

Should there be any damage caused to your property and you wish to make a claim on the block buildings insurance, please contact our Customer Services Team who will provide you with the necessary information.

I have nuisance/noisy neighbours, what can I do?

Noise from TV's, stereos, party guests leaving the property etc can be very frustrating, particularly late at night. Persistent noise nuisance is best dealt with by your local Environmental Health Department who have the necessary powers to deal with this and whose involvement usually provides a speedy resolution.

Why do I pay buildings insurance, I have my own policy?

Under the terms of most Leases we are required to insure the whole building but not your belongings and home contents. Where your bank or building society has required you to insure through them, you should obtain from us a copy of the insurance summary details and current schedule and give this to them.

People are parking in my allocated bay, what can I do?

Regrettably we cannot protect a resident's individual parking space. If any vehicle parks upon it, the only person who can take action is the leaseholder who owns that space. Please contact Customer Services for further information 08450 345 790 (lo-call).

Can I have satellite TV?

Most Leases carry a prohibition against any form of receiving equipment except communal receivers. Should residents collectively wish to have a satellite service they should make their wishes known to us in writing. At no time should individual dishes be affixed to the buildings or placed in the grounds.

What is the difference between freehold and leasehold?

If you purchase a freehold property, you will own the home and the land it is built on. There may however be a freehold company who owns the estate areas, such as communal car parking or garden areas. If you buy a leasehold property you are actually buying the rights to live in a property for a set period of time. You won't actually own the structure, or the grounds it is situated on. Most flats are leasehold.

Can I keep a pet? Is there a charge for this?

Some Leases have an absolute ban on any pets, or certain specified animals. Other Leases allow pets provided consent is obtained beforehand. In these cases a written consent is required.

Where you wish to have a cat or dog, please write to us for consent. In the case of a dog, we would normally require a photograph to ensure that it is a breed which is consistent with flat living. The written consent is given subject to what are termed 'good neighbour' conditions, details of which can be obtained from our Customer Service Team.

Who are Estates & Management?

Estates and Management are the Freehold owning company for many of the properties Solitaire manage. Estates and Management will invoice you directly for any Ground Rent contributions.

What is a 'Balancing Service Charge'?

There is often an adjustment to the service charge after the year end as it is unlikely that our estimate will equal the amount expended during the year. This adjustment can be a credit if we over estimate or a debit if we under estimate. If we under estimate, an invoice will be sent to you for the balance due. If we over estimate, the adjustment are credited to your account and can reduce future invoices.

I was not living in my property for the period on the invoice; do I still have to pay?

As the current owner, you are now liable for making this payment. However, your solicitor should have made arrangements to cover this contingency, usually by holding a retention from the money due to the person who sold the property to you. You should check this with your solicitor.

I need emergency repairs undertaking urgently. Can Solitaire assist?

In our capacity as managing agent, Solitaire Property Management is responsible for the maintenance/repair of the common parts of building structures, estate grounds and shared service installations. Should an emergency situation occur during normal office hours, residents should contact the Customer Services department 08450 345 790 (lo-call). Outside of office hours you will be referred to the Careline 24 hour emergency service via 08450 345 790 (lo-call), which will be able to assist and offer advice with regard to the emergency problem. Some emergency situations may require the appointment of contractors to attend site; other situations may be covered by our insurers, in which case your call will be referred directly to the insurers for their action. Please note that as managing agent, Solitaire Property Management is not responsible for repairs within a resident's individual property and all out of office emergency services carry a premium call out charge, the cost of which will be borne by your service charge, so it is therefore important to only use this service when absolutely necessary.

If I am not satisfied with the service I have received, how do I make a formal complaint?

Please click here to download the complaints procedure