Hello All! Wondering if anyone can give me some advice please. I live in a flat where I am using it for an online business however it's presently dormant and has been since the start. There are no goods involved, it's just a free website. I had to register this under my home address however I am wondering if this would have an effect on the communal buildings insurance policy I have? (residential) Would it void it? Please can someone who know this get back to me.. Regards

Hello! Wondering if anyone can help. We have just moved out of a flat. The flat is in a converted house with two other flats. There is a communal hallway which serves each of these. The landlord has not made any deductions relating to our flat. However, there is what looks like an oil stain on the stairs of the communal hallway. She claims that we are responsible because my partner owns a bike. The carpet is extremely old - probably 20-25 years old and in very bad condition. It is extensively stained and damaged. The landlord is requesting that we pay for the recarpteing of the communal hall due to the stain. Can anyone advise what our position is here? The deposit is held by TDS so we can proceed to arbitration, but it would be helpful to know what our rights are. Thanks in advance.

Hi all, new to the forum so apologies if I have posted in the wrong place. This is quite a long post as I want to be as thorough as possible, any advice would be appreciated. I moved into my property (2 bed flat, all electric, no gas) in November 2011, shortly after moving in (Feb 2012) I received an electric bill from Npower for around £80/month in electricity. At this point I made a huge effort to lower my usage, to do this I did the following as well as many other things; I reduced my washing machine usage to 2 times a month, I turned off my water heater and used cold water only, I limited showers to 5mins Max on eco setting, I also stopped using all forms of electric heating. Expecting this to drop my bills to around £40 I waited for my next bill, and again the bills where coming through at £80 - £120 a month, at this point I contacted Npower and requested they come inspect my meter. I made the same phone call 3-4 times over the course of 6 months and each time was told my usage was average and they wouldn't investigate, instead threatening to cut me off if I didn't pay my balance immediately. Bringing us to today and my total payments to Npower have been in the region of £3700 - £4000 since November 2011, an average of approx £100/month and somewhere in the region of 9000kwh/year for a 2 bed flat occupied for the last 2years by just myself. Electric consumption is outlined above; one person, working full time, short showers, no heating EVER, no hot water heater and very infrequent use of cooker. Last week whilst doing a meter read I decided to have a quick look at my meter and the cables attached etc, and noticed that my meter is connected to a separate fuse board for the communal lights, sockets, and alarm systems of the flats above me (I'm basement flat with my own door, meter is located in the entry area to the block of flats directly above me). By killing the power to my flat and turning on the lights in the communal areas, and monitoring my meter, I have confirmed that I have been providing the electric for the communal areas since I moved in. I have raised an official complain with Npower and have been told it will be investigated within 10 working days, what I'm wanting to know is, who is responsible for refunding my overpayments? I have been advised by CAB that Npower MUST correct my overpayment first, then persue the landlord for the energy used by the communal areas themselves. Is this the general practice? Or is it possible Npower can just tell me to speak to my landlord to get the money back? Also after speaking to a former tenant of the flats who I knew from his time in the building, he has told me that several of the tenants have been using extension cables from the communal plug sockets (used for cleaning/contractors) to power heaters/appliances in their flats as a way to avoid using their own supply. Whilst this does explain why my usage is so high, how can I prove this is the case when requesting my overpayments back? I can get several tenants to write a statement saying they have witnessed this, but would it be helpful? I'm a little worried Npower are just going to try fob me off with a 10% refund when the real figure I should be refunded is likely to be closer to 70%/80%.. Any help much appreciated, thanks for reading

I live in a self contained basement flat in a building of three flats. My flat has its own seperate front and rear doors, completely seperate and unconnected with the two upper flats and both opening onto the street. My flat is completely unconnected to the top two. The two upper flats share a common front door, hallway and stairs to their respective flats. These upper two flats are let out by the owners as holiday apartments. I have no access to the common areas of these flats and do not share any services with them, however this year the owners of these flats decided to put new carpet on their stairs and have complete new decoration and a new lighting system within their common area. Is it right that they can use the portion of my service charge to refurbish this area, common to them only, and with no related benefit to me, and in an area non accessible to me. I would be very pleased for some guidance in this matter

Hi, I have a freehold property that I own. Unfortunately, we share the estate with some flats and have common communal area that I am liable to pay a service charge. The TP1 defines: "communal facilities: the Common Access car parking spaces and all open space and landscaped areas shown for the purposes of identification shaded green on Plan 2" "Projections: Including foundations chimneys flues eaves gutters spouts canopies pipes fence posts wall piers and similar projections now or within the Perpetuity Period constructed on the Estate" SERVICE CHARGE COSTS 1. Repairing maintaining inspecting and as necessary reinstating or reviewing the Communal Facilities A cropped photo of plan 2 is shown in the attached. On the left hand shaded area reside 2 chimneys which are listed buildings, which are part of the service charges. My question is that does the definition of Communal Facilities as states in your opinion include the chimneys even though they may reside within the shaded area? Thanks for your help.

I live in a block of flats and we all pay factors fees that include buildings insurance. I have just discovered that water has been leaking out of my shower tray in the ensuite and escaping into cupboards and leaking into the property downstairs. I have have had a builder come out and he has advised that they will need to replace the floor and replace the internal walls in the cupboards and he suspects that the joists may be damaged. I have contacted the factors and they have said that the buildings insurance only cover the communal parts of the building ie. the stairs and external walls however I thought that buildings cover was the whole building structure including internal walls. I have asked them I provide the policy details so that I can examine this however they are refusing to give me details. Does anyone have any experience of this situation? I think that the insurer is Oysters Insurance.

Hi, Can somebody please advise me if the Bailiffs pining a letter addressed to myself on the communal notice board in my block of flats is legal for them to do. My neighbour advised me that there was an envelope addressed to myself pinned on the communal notice board for me. When I looked in the envelope it was a letter from Newlyn Bailiffs stating that they have visited my property and they will be gaining access to my flat within 24 hours. I have a dispute with the council at the moment regarding my council tax and they advised the bailiffs were on hold. I thought letters had to be posted through your own personal letter box? I am being charged for 2 other letters I have never received.

Hello, I live in a small block of four flats, each of which faces a small communal hallway with a single shared door onto the street. We all have the same landlord, who owns the freehold on the building. One of my neighbours appears to use their flat as a second home, and post stacks up for a few weeks at a time, after which they only return for a single night. They also appear to owe a year's council tax and baillifs appeared today to try and recover the debt, but did not get past the communal door. Regarding the bailiffs: Do the bailiffs have a right to force entry on our communal flat block door? Do I have a duty to let them into the communal area? Does my landlord have a duty to allow them access to their flat? Obviously it may be in the landlords interest to do so, to minimise damage. Thanks

I parked next to a van (which had been there for approximatly 3 days) at work in the communal car park in a business center. When I got back to my car, the drivers door is beyond repair and is going to cost in the region of £800 to fix. No details where left by the other driver and no one witnessed the incident. My problem with this apart from being hit is that the business center manager tried to get CCTV footage but explained the cameras where pointing at a tree at the time !! the other camera just takes reg plate numbers. Again, not working. Iv contacted the police and as its an offence, it was on private property, they can take action with relevant details,but thats as far as they will go. My insurence explained, yes I can claim but without any details from the other driver, ill be left to pay, my premium will double and I'll lose my no claims of 8 years.... Somthing doesnt click here, any help much appreciated.