Questions
Frequently asked questions.
Straight answers to the questions leaseholders ask us most. Can’t see yours? Get in touch and we’ll help.
In an emergency, call 999 first — fire, serious injury, a crime in progress or anyone in immediate danger. You do not need to contact us before you do. Everything else: who to call, and when — or download our Out-of-Hours & Emergency Policy.
FAQs
Block management, in general
What does a managing agent actually do?
A managing agent runs the communal side of a residential building on behalf of the freeholder, Right to Manage company or management company — arranging repairs and maintenance, keeping the building compliant and insured, collecting and accounting for service charges, and being the point of contact for residents.
How is my service charge calculated?
Your service charge is your building’s budgeted running costs for the year, split between the flats by the percentage set out in your lease. We share the budget in advance and issue itemised statements, so you can always see how the figure is arrived at and where the money goes.
What is a reserve (or sinking) fund?
A reserve fund spreads the cost of large, predictable works — like a new roof or redecoration — across the years in between, so they don’t land as a single large bill. A sensible reserve plan is part of good budgeting.
Do you charge for administering Section 20 major works?
On Gena Advantage and Gena Elite, no. Section 20 is the consultation the law requires before works that would cost any one leaseholder more than £250, and many agents charge for running it — often as a percentage of the contract value. We do not: preparing and serving the notices, gathering estimates and dealing with leaseholders’ observations is part of those service levels. On Gena One, our app-only level, Section 20 administration is a fixed-price extra: £150 + VAT for a block of up to 50 units and £300 + VAT over 50 units, plus £150 + VAT for a Section 20B notice where one is needed — never a percentage of the contract value. On every level you pay for the works themselves, and for any surveyor or project manager the job needs.
How do you handle major works and choosing contractors?
For straightforward work such as redecoration we use contractors we know and have worked with before — which matters most for snagging, because we can get them back to put things right. We do not act as surveyor or project manager: we do not specify the work technically or inspect the standard of it, and for anything more complex we will say so and recommend appointing someone who does. Their fee is a cost to the building.
Can we switch managing agent, and is it difficult?
Yes. Switching is usually straightforward and we handle the handover for you — transferring funds, records, contracts and compliance documents from your previous agent cleanly, so nothing falls through the gap.
Do you manage small blocks?
Yes. We manage buildings of every size, from two-flat conversions up to 500-unit developments — including multi-building blocks with communal plant rooms, concierge, car parking and gymnasiums. Small blocks get the same transparent service as large ones.
What are Gena One, Gena Advantage and Gena Elite?
Our three service levels, priced per unit per year plus VAT, with a one-off set-up fee of £125 + VAT per unit on each. Gena One (£250 + VAT per unit) is app-only: essential compliance and support for a self-managed block that does the day-to-day itself. Everything goes through the Gena Go app, with each leaseholder’s documents in their own document vault — service charge demands from the directors’ approved budget, collection into a client account, supplier payments, statements, the compliance calendar and the records. The unaudited annual accounts, certified by Gena, are a fixed charge on every level (from £150 + VAT a year for a block of up to 50 units). It does not include phone or email support, an arrears chasing service, annual budget preparation or board meetings, and Section 20 administration is charged as an extra. Gena Advantage (£350 + VAT per unit) is full, proactive management: it adds phone and email, the arrears chasing service, the annual budget, four board meetings a year and no Section 20 fees. Gena Elite (£450 + VAT per unit) is for larger or more complex buildings and adds WhatsApp and twelve board meetings a year. Every level has no exit fees and two months’ notice either way. Anything outside a level is an additional service at a pre-agreed hourly rate, capped at £150 + VAT an hour and quoted before we start — never a percentage of a contract value.
We’re on Gena One — can we phone or email you?
On Gena One the app is the channel. Raise it in the Gena Go app and we answer there, with the same response times as every level; phone and email are not part of Gena One, so we will point you to the app rather than answer by phone or email. Phone and email are what Gena Advantage adds, for £100 + VAT per unit a year more, and a block can move up at any time on two months’ notice with no exit fee. Directors who want a call, a meeting, or something handled outside the app can ask for it as an additional service at our hourly rate, agreed before it is booked.
How do residents pay or report a problem?
Residents of blocks we manage use the Gena Go app and the Gena Online forms on this website to pay service charges, report problems with photos, request information and raise questions — without waiting on hold.
Should I email a member of staff directly?
Is Gena Property Management accredited?
Emergencies
Emergencies and out of hours
Who do I call in an emergency?
If anyone is in immediate danger, call 999 first — you do not need to contact us before you do. Otherwise call the service that owns the problem:
- Gas or carbon monoxide — National Gas Emergency Service, 0800 111 999 (free, 24 hours).
- Power cut — if it appears to be block-wide, contact UK Power Networks on 0800 31 63 105. They are responsible for all the power infrastructure regardless of who supplies your electricity. (The national 105 line reaches them too.)
- Burst main or no water — Thames Water 24-hour emergencies, 0800 316 9800.
- Fault with the lift — the lift maintenance company posted inside the lift. If someone is trapped, use the alarm or phone in the lift car, and call 999 if there is no answer.
- Anti-social behaviour, or you feel threatened — the police. Dial 999 if you are in immediate danger, or 101 for incidents not requiring an immediate response.
- Noise disturbance — your local council, who keep a log of repeat offenders. Report noise to your council.
- A genuine emergency in the communal parts — request an urgent call back or email info@genapm.com.
Please report anything that happened out of hours to us afterwards, so it can be logged and followed up.
What counts as a genuine out-of-hours emergency?
An emergency is a sudden, unexpected event that puts life, health or the security of the building at risk, or that will cause serious damage if it is not dealt with straight away:
- Fire or a smell of burning; a smell of gas or suspected carbon monoxide; serious injury.
- Major flooding, or sewage backing up into the building.
- Total loss of power or water; loss of heating in cold weather.
- A break-in, or a communal door or window left insecure.
- A person trapped in a lift, or structural danger such as falling masonry.
These can safely wait until the next working day: a dripping tap or minor leak you can contain, one light or socket not working, a communal bulb out, a lift out of service with nobody trapped, noise or parking disputes, and cosmetic damage or general wear.
If you are ever unsure whether something is safe, treat it as an emergency and call the relevant service.
When should I contact Gena out of hours — and how?
Our office hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday; “out of hours” means evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays.
Contact us out of hours for a genuine emergency affecting the communal parts or the structure of the building — a major communal leak, total loss of communal power or heating, a serious security failure, a lift entrapment or structural danger. Request an urgent call back or email info@genapm.com.
Please don’t use the emergency route for routine repairs, noise, parking or problems inside your own flat — report those through the Gena Go app or the report a problem form and they will be dealt with in the normal way. Calling us will not get the fire service to you faster, stop a gas leak or restore your power: call the right service first, then tell us.
There’s a leak or flood right now — what should I do?
Turn the water off at the stopcock if it is safe to do so, and keep clear of anything electrical the water has reached. Contain what you can with towels and buckets, and move valuables clear. If the water is coming from the flat above, try to reach your neighbour straight away — knock, and if there is no answer put a note under their door asking them to check, because the stopcock that stops it is often theirs. Call your water supplier’s 24-hour line for a mains problem; for a communal leak, call us so a contractor can be sent. The overnight job is to make it safe and limit the damage — the repair itself is arranged in working hours. One thing to do before you start clearing up: photograph everything, dated and at the best resolution your phone will manage — where the water is coming from if you can safely see it, the full extent of the damage to ceilings, walls, floors and fittings, and the water itself while it is still running. Evidence from the first hours is what any insurance claim rests on and it cannot be recreated afterwards.
The power has gone off — is it the building or my flat?
First check whether neighbours or the street are affected too. If it is wider than your flat it is a network fault: call 105 (free, 24 hours) or UK Power Networks on 0800 31 63 105. It will be restored by the network operator — not by the building or by us.
If it is only your flat, check the fuse board. Usually a single faulty appliance — a kettle, washing machine, tumble dryer or iron — has tripped the whole board. To find it:
- Turn every miniature circuit breaker (MCB) off.
- Switch the main switch back on.
- Turn the MCBs on one at a time. When the board trips again, the last one you turned on is the faulty circuit.
- Reset everything except that circuit and the rest of the flat will have power. Leave the faulty one off and call an electrician the next working day — or unplug the appliances on that circuit and try again to find the culprit.
If communal lighting, door entry or lifts are affected, please tell us as well.
The communal heating or hot water has failed — why can’t it be fixed tonight?
In cold weather this feels urgent, and we treat it as a priority — but a communal boiler or plant fault usually needs a replacement part, and parts cannot be sourced until suppliers open the next morning, so an overnight fix is rarely possible. Report it as soon as it happens so an engineer and any parts are arranged first thing, and please tell us if vulnerable residents are affected. In the meantime use warm layers and, if you have them, safe portable heaters — never use a hob, oven or barbecue to heat a room, which risks fire and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Water is coming through the roof in a storm — will a roofer come out?
Not while the storm is blowing: working at height in high winds is dangerous, so the roof itself cannot be repaired until it is safe to go up. The priority overnight is to minimise the damage inside — move furniture, electricals and valuables clear, lift or roll back carpets, and catch the water in buckets or bins. Keep clear of light fittings the water has reached, and if it is safe turn off the power to that area at the consumer unit. Report it to us so a roofer is booked to attend and make the roof safe as soon as conditions allow.
Someone is trapped in the lift — what should I do?
Use the alarm button or emergency phone inside the lift car — it connects to the lift company’s monitored 24-hour line. If there is no response, call 999. Reassure the person while they wait: the car is designed to be safe and will not fall. Call 999 straight away if the trapped person is unwell or vulnerable. For a lift that is simply out of service with nobody inside, report it to us in the normal way.
There’s been a break-in, or a communal door won’t lock
If a crime is in progress or anyone is in danger, call 999; otherwise report it to the police on 101 and keep the crime reference. Then report it to us through the app so a communal door, gate or window can be secured — that is normally attended to the next morning. If an insecure communal entrance leaves residents at serious risk overnight, call us as well and we will arrange for it to be made safe.
What about noise or anti-social behaviour from a neighbour?
If you feel threatened or unsafe, call the police — 999 in immediate danger, 101 otherwise.
Noise and statutory nuisance are dealt with by your local council, not by the managing agent. Report it through gov.uk/report-noise-pollution-to-council — the council keeps a log of repeat offenders, and that log is what supports action later. Keep your own dated record too.
Do tell us if the behaviour also breaches the terms of the lease — we can write to the leaseholder — but we are not an out-of-hours noise service.
Should I call out my own contractor at night or over the weekend?
Unless it is a genuine emergency that cannot wait, no. Out-of-hours call-outs are commonly charged at double or triple the normal rate, and the tradesperson often cannot finish the job until suppliers open the next day. Where the problem is not urgent, make the area safe, limit the damage and report it so a proper repair can be arranged in working hours at a sensible price. Work inside your own flat is your own arrangement, and communal work booked by a resident without our authority cannot normally be charged to the service charge.
I’m deaf or hard of hearing — how do I contact 999?
You can contact 999 by text through the emergencySMS service, but you must register in advance: text the word “register” to 999 and follow the instructions, or see emergencysms.net. It is worth doing now rather than in an emergency.
Repairs
Repairs and who is responsible
What am I responsible for maintaining and repairing?
Broadly speaking, everything between the joists in your floor and the joists in your ceiling is your responsibility, along with any conduit — a pipe or a wire — that serves your flat exclusively. So a leak from your dishwasher connection, or from a pipe serving your bath or shower, is yours to put right. Typically the window frames and glass and all the doors of your flat are also your responsibility, except the external surfaces, which are redecorated as part of the building’s cyclical decorations. Your lease is the final word, and the split can vary — if you are unsure, ask us and we will check the lease for your building.
What does Gena look after, then?
We look after the communal parts and the structure on behalf of the freeholder or the management company — the roof, external walls, communal hallways and lighting, entrance doors and door entry, lifts, communal heating plant, gardens and shared services — together with the building’s insurance, compliance and the service charge accounts. Anything inside your own flat is normally yours, and if you rent your flat out, your tenant’s rent and tenancy are matters for you or your lettings agent rather than for us.
Do I need permission to change my flooring, move my boiler or make other alterations?
Leaks & insurance
Leaks, buildings insurance and claims
Water is coming into my flat from the flat above — will Gena investigate?
If you would prefer us to investigate on your behalf, we can step in for a fee. That is provided under Gena Flat Management, our flat-fee service for individual flats, which is separate from the block management service paid for through the service charge — so it is payable by the leaseholder who asks us to act, never a cost to the block, and depending on the leases it may be recoverable from the flat the leak came from. For a flat already under Gena Flat Management, a leak is simply a maintenance job we handle.
Where the water is coming from the roof, the structure or a communal pipe, tell us straight away and we will deal with it as part of the standard service.
What does the buildings insurance cover?
We take out annual buildings insurance to cover “events” such as fire, storm damage and floods. Insurers generally do not cover repairing a leak itself unless it was caused by an event such as a storm — they treat the leak as a maintenance issue. However, the redecoration needed because of a leak is an event and is covered, and the policy will also cover the cost of finding the leak. All claims are subject to an excess, typically around £250–£350 depending on the nature of the claim.
Do I need my own insurance as well?
Probably, yes. The buildings policy does not cover what is inside your flat, so as an owner-occupier you may want home contents insurance, and as a landlord you may want landlord’s insurance. You may also wish to buy boiler cover: boilers are often specifically excluded from other policies. Check the position with your own insurer.
A leak from my flat has damaged the flat below — who pays?
If a leak is found in the flat below and it was caused by something of yours, such as your shower, it is your responsibility to pay for their redecoration. If the claim goes through the buildings insurance policy, you will be liable for the excess. Tell us early either way — we can help establish where the water came from and, where a claim is appropriate, put it to the insurer.
Water has come through my ceiling — how do I go about claiming for the damage?
Make it safe first, and if the water is coming from the flat above go up and knock — or leave a note with your number if nobody is in — because the stopcock that stops it is usually theirs. Then gather the evidence before you clear up: dated, high-resolution photographs or video of the source if it is safely visible, the full extent of the damage to walls, ceilings, floors and fittings, and the water while it is still running. Jot down a short timeline as you go — when you found it, when the water was isolated, when anyone attended. Then report it to us, through the Gena Go app or the report-a-problem form, with those photographs attached. We notify the broker or insurer and they allocate a claim reference. Where the damage is to communal parts we run the claim for the building; where it is inside your own flat you take a more active part, and we will tell you what is needed at each stage.
What happens once a claim is reported?
In outline: you report it and we log it and give you initial guidance; emergency work is arranged where it is needed while you take steps to stop the damage spreading; a contractor establishes the cause and extent, and you document the damage; we notify the insurer, normally within a day or two of your report, and a claim reference is issued. You will then be asked for at least two written, itemised quotes from qualified tradespeople for repairs inside your own flat — we obtain the quotes for communal parts ourselves. The insurer may send a loss adjuster to verify the cause and the amount. Once the claim is approved the repairs are carried out, and the insurer settles less the policy excess, which is recovered as your lease provides. We publish a Leak Management and Insurance Claims Policy in two parts — leak management, then claims handling — setting all of this out; ask us and we will send you a copy. Running a claim for damage inside your own flat on your behalf is an optional, chargeable service: if you would like us to, email info@genapm.com and we will confirm the scope and the basis of our fee in writing before any work starts.
What will you need from me for an insurance claim?
The date and time you found the damage, which flat and which rooms are affected, and what happened as far as you know it — a burst pipe, a failed seal, storm damage. Dated photographs or video of the cause where it is safely reachable, of the full extent of the damage, and of the sequence of events, plus a brief timeline. A contact number and email, the times contractors or a loss adjuster can get in, and key holder details if the flat is empty or let. At least two written itemised quotes for repairs inside your flat. Your own contents insurer’s details, since possessions, furniture, carpets and white goods are claimed on your policy rather than the building’s. And any supporting paperwork the incident generated — a crime reference for theft or vandalism, a utility company report for a mains failure.
Is it always worth claiming?
Not always, and it is worth pausing to work it out. Every claim carries an excess — commonly a few hundred pounds, though it can be higher — and your lease usually makes that recoverable from the leaseholder affected or shared across the block. The policy pays for the resulting damage, such as a ruined ceiling, but not for repairing the thing that failed, which is a maintenance matter; nor for gradual deterioration or lack of maintenance. Replacement is like-for-like, so if you upgrade the finish you pay the difference. And repeated claims can push the block’s premium up at renewal, which everybody then pays for. For smaller jobs, below roughly £500 to £1,000, the excess and the premium effect can outweigh what you would recover. Tell us either way and we will tell you the current excess for your building before you decide. One caution: do not settle or accept liability with a neighbour, contractor or anybody else before speaking to us and the insurer, because doing so can invalidate the claim.
The building
Aerials, satellite and building services
Do I need my own Sky dish to receive Sky TV?
In most cases, no. Blocks usually have a communal satellite dish with a multiswitch that distributes the signal to each flat; you need a Sky box and a valid subscription to decode and use it. In the rare cases where each flat uses its own dish, you must contact us to obtain the freeholder’s permission under the terms of the lease. Many people consider individual satellite dishes unsightly, and where a block accumulates too many of them we may move to a communal dish and multiswitch instead.
Someone has asked to be let in to read a meter or do some work — are they genuine?
Be cautious. The contractors we send to the building normally have a key or an access code, so they do not need a resident to buzz them in, and when work is planned we send a notice through the Gena Go app. If someone you are not expecting asks to be let in, do not open the door: ask for their name and company and check with us first, or with your own supplier if they say they are reading your meter. If you rent your flat out, ask your tenants to register on the Gena Go app so they receive these notices too.
Your money
Service charge money and how to pay
Do I need an account or a login for Gena Online?
How do I get my service charge statement and other documents?
Where is leaseholders’ money kept?
Leaseholders’ money is held in separate client accounts, which earn interest. It is your building’s money, kept apart from the firm’s own, and accounted for to you each year.
What payment facilities do you offer?
You can pay by bank transfer, standing order, direct debit or cheque, or by card through a secure payment link. We always offer a few options so you can spread your payments across the year rather than meeting the whole demand at once — just ask if you would like to set one up, or use the make a payment page.
A bank transfer or standing order costs you nothing. Card and direct debit providers deduct a fee from each payment, and because the service charge has to receive the full amount, that fee is passed on to you and stays owing on your account.
Compliance
Health, safety and fire checks
Why do you have to do regular health and safety and fire checks?
Because the law requires it. Communal areas are classed as places of work for the contractors who do jobs on the property, so they fall under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Separately, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that all buildings in multiple occupation have a fire risk assessment carried out and all significant findings recorded. The checks, the records and the actions that follow are what keep the building compliant — and they are what an insurer or a buyer’s solicitor will ask to see.
CCTV
CCTV and footage requests
How long is CCTV footage kept?
Normally 30 days, unless it is needed for an incident or a claim. That is the most important thing to know before you do anything else: a request made six weeks after the event will usually find the recording has already been overwritten. If something has happened, ask straight away — even if you have not yet decided whether you want to take it further.
Can I be given CCTV footage of an incident at my building?
Sometimes, and it depends on who else is in the picture. Footage showing only you is your own personal data and can usually be released to you. Footage showing other people is their personal data as well as yours, so we cannot simply hand it over. Where a crime has been reported, the right route is almost always the police: we give them the unedited recording as evidence for their investigation.
Why will you not show me a picture of the person who took my parcel?
Because an image of a person is their personal data, and data protection law treats somebody caught on camera as a suspect rather than a convicted criminal. Putting that image up in the lobby or circulating it to residents is a public accusation, and it exposes the building’s management to both a data protection breach and a defamation claim. The Information Commissioner’s Office has given retailers the same advice about photographs of suspected shoplifters. The footage goes to the police instead.
Should I report it to the police first?
For anything that is a crime, yes, and it helps your request a great deal. A crime reference number tells us the request is part of an investigation, which means we can release the unedited footage to the police rather than having to decide ourselves what can and cannot be shared. Report a non-urgent crime on 101 or online; always call 999 if somebody is in danger or a crime is in progress.
Does every building have CCTV?
No. Cameras are installed where the freeholder or the residents’ management company has decided to have them and the service charge pays for them, so coverage varies from building to building — and a camera watching the main entrance will not have seen what happened in the car park or the bin store. Tell us where in the building the incident happened and we will tell you whether there is a camera that could have captured it.
How precise do I need to be about the date and time?
As precise as you can manage, because somebody has to sit and watch the recording. The difference between “Tuesday evening” and “between 6.15 and 6.45 on Tuesday” is the difference between a few minutes of work and several hours of it, and a vague window is the most common reason a request cannot be answered usefully. If a parcel is involved, the delivery company’s own timestamp is usually the best anchor you have.
Leasehold
Leasehold, explained
I am a flat owner — why am I called a leaseholder?
You are a flat owner, and if you have a tenant renting your flat you are also a landlord. But the flat you own is leased for a long period — usually 125 years — from a freeholder, who is also called the landlord. In the freeholder’s eyes you are the leaseholder. The freeholder may appoint a managing agent to look after the maintenance of the common areas as prescribed in your long lease. So the same person can be an owner, a landlord and a leaseholder all at once, depending on who is doing the describing.
Can I let my flat on Airbnb or as a short-term holiday let?
It depends on your lease, and many do not allow it. A common covenant requires the flat to be used only as a single private residence, and short-term holiday letting generally breaches that. Letting to a tenant on an ordinary tenancy is a different matter and is usually allowed, although your lease may require you to give notice or get consent. Ask us before you list the flat and we will check your lease. The building’s insurer may also need to know, because letting can affect the cover for the whole block.
Who deals with ground rent, the landlord’s certificate and the freeholder’s consent?
The freeholder, or their managing agent. In many of the blocks we manage we act for the management company or the Right to Manage company rather than the freeholder, so the freeholder’s own business goes to them directly: ground rent, the landlord’s certificate a buyer’s solicitor asks for, and consents that only the freeholder can give. Their contact details, or their agent’s, are on your ground rent demand. Where the freeholder is the leaseholders’ own company and we act for it, we deal with these ourselves. If you are unsure which applies to your building, ask us.
The emergency answers above summarise that policy, which we issue to residents of the blocks we manage. For the emergency arrangements for your own building, email info@genapm.com or request a call back. Nothing here overrides the terms of your lease or the instructions of the emergency services.
Let’s talk
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