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Fire Risk Assessment Guide

Nov 232010

WAS £80.00 NOW £39.00

The Fire Safety Order came into force in October 2006 and requires a designated responsible person from your Resident’s Management Company (RMC) to carry out a risk assessment and take steps to reduce or remove the risk of fire. The legislation is not onerous, it simply imposes a duty to keep a watching brief in very much the same way that any responsible management company will do as a matter of course, for example ensuring that fire exits are properly maintained and that inappropriate materials are not stored in common areas.
LIST OF TOPICS ADDRESSED IN THE GUIDE.

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
What is a Fire Risk Assessment?
How do I carry out a fire risk assessment?
Fire Risk Assessment – In 5 Steps
Fire Risk Assessment Audit Form.
(This may not be a complete list for consideration.)

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Health and Safety Guide & Fire Risk Assessment Guide – BUY BOTH ONLY £88

Subscribe to Flat-Living Magazine

Flat Living Magazine Comments Off

Nov 232010

Following the success of our website, Flat Living Magazine has been developed as a quarterly publication dedicated to providing latest information relating to leasehold sector issues, specialising in the needs of Flat and Apartment owners and their Residents’ Management Companies.

In addition we are pleased to offer a directory of service providers who supply services along with a range of products to help you manage your block.

Our first edition was launched in October. Future editions will be published Jan, April, July and October.

Subscribe now ONLY £10.00 per annum.
You can purchase online by using our online shop – click here.

Alternatively click “Please Invoice Me“, complete the form and we will send you an invoice which will enable you to pay by cheque or BACS, your subscription will then commence on receipt of your payment.

Terrorism – not necessarily the obvious threat!

Terrorism Insurance Comments Off

Nov 212010

Tempting, isn’t it, when considering renewal of your residential buildings insurance, to leave out terrorism cover. It may seem to be one of those extras you should have, but could just as easily avoid to save costs to the residents. After all how could your property possibly be at serious risk of being a target for terrorist attack!

Unfortunately, as with so many things in life, it isn’t quite that simple. Have you considered that the terrorist threat could come from a far less obvious source. For example, where bomb makers live – explosives are unpredictable and bomb makers don’t appear labelled for the purpose! There is also a very real threat to possible targets in their own homes – letter bombs, biological weapons or powerful explosives designed to destroy the property with the target inside.

Maybe you are thinking that no-one in your residential apartments is likely to be a bomb maker or a target for terrorism, but how certain can you be? However unlikely, if an incident occurs and there was no insurance in place, the directors would be seen to be responsible and where would, say, £250,000 come from? Remember, directors have personal responsibility for their decisions and actions within the Residential Management Company. Are you paid to risk your personal assets?

So, is not having terrorism insurance worth the risk to your Company’s directors?

For a quote for your Buildings and Terrorism Insurance please complete the form on the ResidentsLine web site from the following link: Click here

For a quote please complete the form on the Residentsline web site at: www.residentsline.co.uk/quote or send us an email at info@flat-living.co.uk and we will arrange for a Property Insurance Underwriter from Residentsline to contact you directly

www.flat-living.co.uk Ltd is an Introducer Appointed Representative for Residentsline Limited

Do we need a Fire Risk Assessment?

Fire Risk Assessment No Responses »

Nov 212010

QUOTE ME

The Fire Safety Order * came into force in October 2006 and requires a designated responsible person from the residential management company to carry out a risk assessment and take steps to reduce or remove the risk of fire.

The legislation is not onerous, it simply imposes a duty to keep a watching brief in very much the same way that any responsible management company will do as a matter of course, for example ensuring that fire exits are properly maintained and that inappropriate materials are not stored in common areas.

If you need further guidance on fire safety, log on to: www.communities.gov.uk/fire/firesafety/firesafetylaw

There you will find full guidance for common areas of flats or maisonettes by downloading:

Fire Safety Risk Assessment Sleeping Accommodation
A Short Fire Risk Assessment form which is in word format and can be downloaded from the same page
The Regulatory form Fire Safety Order 2005, A Short Guide to making your Premises Safe from Fire

So make sure that you undertake one regularly and it is good practice to have evidence of completed assessments just in case there is an insurance claim.

www.flat-living.co.uk is able to offer a nationwide facility for either stand alone Fire Risk Assessments or combined Fire Risk Assessments and General Risk Assessments, call 0845 257 6374 or email info@flat-living.co.uk for a quotation.

Sample prices are shown below:

Up to 24 Flats £385.00 + VAT
25 to 40 Flats £495.00 + VAT
41 to 60 Units £615.00 + VAT

Assessments are released within 3 days of completion.

Call 0845 257 6374 to obtain a confirmed quote or email info@flat-living.co.uk with your property address, number of storeys and number of apartments and we will call you straight back with a confirmed quote.

*The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order) replaced The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 as amended in 1999.

What services does your RMC provide for Emergencies?

Home Emergency Cover No Responses »

Nov 022010

One in 10 flat owners call out a contractor, out of hours, to resolve an emergency in their flat, each year.

HOME ASSISTANCE PLUS provides you access to a nationwide team of specialist authorised contractors, day or night, seven days a week – at a cost that even the smallest RMC can afford, only 4p, per day, per flat and one call is all you need to get contractors to attend emergency situations, day and night, seven days a week, to make your home secure and prevent further damage.

HOME ASSISTANCE PLUS, underwritten by DAS, will arrange the emergency call out and pay the following costs up to a maximum of £500 (including VAT) per incident, for

* The cost of the contractors call out

* Up to 2 hours labour charges

* Up to £100 for parts and materials.

Insurers already know that the speed of resolving an Emergency is very important, occasionally a water damage not dealt with swiftly can cause substantial damage to yours and others properties, plus a costly Insurance claim for Insurers.

One flatowner policyholder recently suffered a water leak and called an emergency plumber out to trace the leak and fit a temporary repair. The call was made at 3.00 p.m. in the afternoon, however the plumber didn’t arrive till nearly 8.00 p.m., by this time the flat below had suffered substantial damages. In addition, the cost of the call out was £190.

For around £25 that flat owner would have received a qualified contractor at their door usually within 2 hours and had the leak fixed, with no additional cost to himself, in addition the flat owner below would not have needed to move out whilst their property was been repaired.

Home Emergency Plus Prospectus

The Residentsline Home Emergency Plus Prospectus is available as a PDF file. Click here

www.flat-living.co.uk Ltd is an Introducer Appointed Representative for Residentsline Limited

Lift Inspection and Insurance

Lift Inspection and Insurance No Responses »

Nov 022010

It is a legal requirement for lifts to be inspected by a competent person. Lifts would include passenger lifts, window cleaning hoists and winches fixed to the roof of the property.

The requirements are that the lift must be inspected by a competent person at six monthly intervals. A record of these inspections must be kept and/or a certificate issued.

Whilst a lift may have maintenance agreement in place, this agreement may not include the statutory inspection requirement. It is also recommended that an independent lift engineer inspect the lift. It is therefore essential that this is checked and that a report and certificate of inspection is to hand.

To help comply with the LOLER requirements, insurers have traditionally offered an inspection service, under an Engineering insurance policy. Insurers have also been able to extend the policy to include damage to the lifts following its breakdown.

Most property owners or blocks of flats insurance policies will cover damage to passenger lifts as a result of an insured peril such as fire, accidental damage and malicious damage.

However these policies do not normally extend to cover damage caused by the breakdown of the passenger lift, hence the need for an Engineering policy.

Some lift engineering companies will include a provision within their maintenance contract for the cost of repairs (parts and labour) in the event of breakdown. In effect a warranty type insurance. This warranty may duplicate some of the cover provided by other insurance policies but uniquely will provide cover for wear and tear. Wear and tear is traditionally excluded by normal insurance policies.

flat-living.co.uk in association with Residentsline has negotiated very favourable rates for Lift Insurance and Inspection, as shown below:

	One Lift	Two Lifts	Each Additional Lift
Inspection Only (twice per annum)	£192.00 *p.a.	£294.00 *p.a.	£153.00 *p.a

Machinery Breakdown Insurance subject to £100 excess	£53.00 p.a.	£53.00 p.a.	£26.50 p.a

* Figures quoted are for lifts serving up to 5 floors.

rom the following link: Click here

www.flat-living.co.uk Ltd is an Introducer Appointed Representative for Residentsline Limited

Directors & Officers Liability Insurance

Directors & Officers Liability Insurance No Responses »

Nov 022010

When individuals take on the roles as director or officer, they can be held personally liable for their actions in this capacity. Anyone who is a director or officer of a Company, Charity or other institution run by a board or committee is at risk.

Directors and Officers Liability insurance provides cover specifically in respect of breaches of duty by a director or officer in managing his or her Company’s affairs.

Cover

The purpose of a Directors & Officers policy is to provide defence costs and/or compensations for Civil Liability arising from the Wrongful Act of a director or officer in the running of the company.

Definitions

Wrongful Act is defined in the policy as:-

Any actual or alleged

Breach of trust
Breach of warranty
Neglect
Error
Omission
Misstatement
Misleading statement

committed by Persons Insured

Claims made basis – regardless of when a director or officer commits a wrongful act, indemnification will be provided by the policy in force at the time of its discovery.

Persons Insured – present directors and officers, former directors and officers, future directors and officers. Spouses, heirs or legal representatives in the event of death, bankruptcy or insolvency of a director or officer.

Limits of Indemnity – a limit of indemnity of up to £1 million may be chosen, which will include payment of costs. A claim payment will reduce the limit of indemnity by the claim amount until the renewal date of the policy, unless an additional premium is paid to reinstate the full sum insured.

Extensions

Extended reporting period

Discovery Clause – the option to purchase extended period of cover in which to notify claims in the event of cancellation of policy cover.

Company Reimbursement – reimbursement to the company where it is obliged to indemnify the directors.

Defence Costs – arising from bodily injury limit £50,000.

Main Exceptions

Dishonesty, Fraud, Malicious Conduct or Personal Profit.
Bodily injury (other than defence costs)
Property damage
Fines, penalties and damages
Pollution
The first £100 of each claim
Failure to maintain any insurance policy unless Property insurance is arranged through Residentsline.

Special Features

Specialist Claims Services
Legal and Tax helpline
Counselling Service – available to all employees

The above is a summary of our understanding of the responsibilities of a director or officer and our interpretation of the Norwich Union Directors & Officers Liability Insurance policy. Please ask for a policy wording for full contract terms or alternatively, for more information, Click here

IPT

All premiums will have Insurance Premium Tax at 5% applied to the net premium.

Example

Examples follow for properties with up to 100 dwellings

Limit of Indemnity	£100,000	£250,000	£500,000	£1,000,000

1-25 flats	£162.75	£220.50	£341.25	£446.25

26 – 50 flats	£199.50	£294.00	£388.50	£551.25

51 -75 flats	£262.50	£299.25	£399.00	£630.00

76-100 flats	£315.00	£399.00	£525.00	£735.00

Premiums shown include Insurance Premium Tax at 5% Policy Excess – £100. Rates apply to Limited Companies. Separate rates apply to Committees and Associations.

www.flat-living.co.uk Ltd is an Introducer Appointed Representative for Residentsline Limited

Accounts

Accounts, Asbestos Hazard Signs No Responses »

Oct 312010

We are aware that for many people the preparation of flat accounts is an onerous task. To make your life simpler we are happy to recommend the Accountancy service offered by:

Flat Management Co. Accounts Limited

For a standard annual flat fee of only £150 + VAT, they will:-

Prepare your accounts to comply with the Companies Act and provide copies for each flat owner

File the Accounts with Companies House
Where appropriate, submit accounts and Corporation Tax Returns to HM Revenue & Customs on your behalf

For further information and terms of business please click to download the following PDF file:

Registration and Term of Business

To find out more or to proceed, please contact: Andrew at Flat Management Co. Accounts Limited, 50 Downend Road, Downend, Bristol BS16 5UE

Tel: 0117 9109192 Fax: 0117 9109193 email: office@flataccounts.com when contacting Andrew please quote reference ‘flat-living.co.uk’.

Click here to download Flat Form registration.PDF

Please note: Flat Management Co. Accounts Limited do not carry out audits or certify statements under the provision of the Landlord and Tenant Acts.

Valuations

Valuations No Responses »

Oct 252010

What if disaster strikes…..

2007, with its floods, storms, tornados and some notable fires has once again brought insurance to the forefront of our minds. Insurance cover can, however, depend on the accuracy of the valuation placed on the buildings.

It is after all, the Residents Management Company (RMC) that represents the residents and which is ultimately responsible for the insurance policy. It is therefore good practice to obtain professional advice on sums insured for insurance purposes at least every 5 years.

QUOTE ME

BCH Limited offers discounted rates for our customers and fees are based upon your existing sum insured not the revised sum, with fees agreed in advance. For a relatively modest fee, peace of mind can be obtained so that in the unlikely event that disaster strikes the RMC can focus efforts on rebuilding, not trying to raise funds to finance the underinsurance short fall.

www.flat-living.co.uk has teamed up with Barratt Corp and Harrington to provide nationwide valuations. To receive a quote please click on the button below.

Protect your property from Water Damage

Sure Stop No Responses »

Oct 252010

SURE STOP

Home owners fork out over £1.8 billion per year to repair the damage caused by leaking water in their homes, according to recent research from Halifax Home Insurance.

ONLY £39.50 (£2.50 p+p)
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Leaking water from washing machines, dishwashers, burst water tanks, pipes, showers and baths causes damage to some 3.3 million homes per year.
However if there is a water emergency a third of householders don’t even know where their stopcock is located.

This isn’t surprising really as they are tucked away in the most inaccessible places, behind kitchen cupboards, hidden under floorboards. If you can find your stopcock, they are difficult to operate, particularly for the elderly. They often seize up, which is not very helpful in an emergency.
By installing a surestop Water Switch you can easily control the water supply in your home,

In the event of an emergency you can easily shut down your water supply and limit any water damage. When you leave your home you can switch off your Surestop to protect your home from the damage that bust pipes can cause.

Open the Sure Stop information leaflet (available as a PDF file.(1,228 Kb)

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