Our focus is deliberately niche and consists of the following:
Commercial Property Service Charge Advice:
Ideal in the following circumstances:
1) You want to establish if you are paying too much service charge.
2) You dispute a particular service charge invoice or invoices.
3) You are considering signing a lease of commercial premises.
This service is recommended where you dispute service charge invoices raised, or where you want to try and reduce your on-going service charge liabilities (on account charges). This service is also recommended for clients who want to ensure that proposed service charge provisions on a new leases are not excessively onerous. We provide expert analysis and advice to clients on service charge invoices raised by landlords. These can be current costs, historic costs incurred or future costs that are yet to be levied by the landlord.
We provide expert analysis and advice on service charge certificates, budgets, sinking funds and apportionments.
We look at ways to reduce tenants existing service charge costs while ensuring the landlord continues to provide essential services. All cases are handled exclusively by an experienced qualified Chartered Surveyor.
Service Charge Administration:
This is suitable for tenants with a portfolio of premises. The specific service required is easily tailored to meet your individual needs. We are able to work within your timescales and reporting requirements.
This service includes us receiving, reviewing and authorizing or querying service charge invoices received from landlords on each of your premises.
Included in this service is a review of leases, invoices, budgets and certificates. We will report opportunities for cost savings, identify errors and identify where invoices should be challenged with the landlord.
Fees
Service Charge Advice Service:
For an comprehensive review of your lease, the service charge budget/certificate, the apportionment and obtaining clarification and further information from the landlord and to provide a recommendation on whether to challenge or not – Our fee is a fixed fee of £250 plus VAT.
Once we have completed the review the decision to challenge service charge invoices rests with you the client. Should you require us to proceed with challenging the landlord our challenge costs are on a time charge basis of £100 per hour or an incentive fee basis of 30% of savings achieved on disputed invoices or 30% of the reduction in year one on account service charge costs (as applicable). There is a minimum challenge fee of £250 plus VAT.
Service Charge Administration:
Our fee is £600 plus VAT per tenancy per annum. We will report opportunities for cost savings, identify errors and identify where invoices should be challenged with the landlord. Our challenge costs are as shown above.
Combined Administration/Consultancy /Challenge Service:
Clients may decide that they want to combine all of the above services and employ us on a month to month retainer fee basis instead. The retainer fee is £2,000 per month plus VAT per tenancy. This arrangement is restricted to a maximum retention period of 3 months.
Advice
Speak to your solicitor, accountant or other professional advisor and if you prefer ask them to contact us to discuss our services. We work alongside your other professional advisors and respect your relationships with them.
We are able to offer our clients a wide range of other property related services but do not cross sell. If you are interested in these services please contact us.