This blog looks at the most common structural issues faced by residential block managers during spells of extremely hot weather – such as those which the UK has experienced in June and July.
There’s also a quick mention of the services offered in this area by Maunder Taylor, who operate in North London and Hertfordshire, and an explanation (in the FAQs) of where the responsibility lies for sorting out any problems.
The article will take between four and five minutes to read.
The UK has been experiencing record-breaking temperatures over the past couple of months. Hertfordshire and North London, for example, saw highs of 37°C to 38°C during June.
This could create problems for residential block managers, whose buildings may be particularly vulnerable when the mercury rises. Here, Maunder Taylor, outline some of the most common issues.
Residential Block Management in Hertfordshire with Maunder Taylor
At Maunder Taylor, we offer high-quality residential block management services in London and Hertfordshire. We manage blocks of flats on behalf of all types of clients, including Resident Management Companies, Right to Manage Companies, freehold companies and investor landlords.
We believe that co-operation between managing agents, the client, the lessees, and the service providers, is the key to successful block management.
Subsidence
A large percentage of the UK, particularly South-East England and Greater London, is built on shrinkable clay soils. During prolonged dry, hot spells, clay loses moisture and shrinks substantially, causing the ground beneath foundations to settle unevenly.
This ground movement leads to subsidence. In low- to mid-rise blocks, this manifests as diagonal stepping cracks through external brickwork, shearing around window apertures, jammed doors, and misaligned window frames.
Nearby mature trees can draw significantly more water out of the soil during heatwaves, potentially leading to localised ground collapses (particularly around building corners)
Roof Damage
Much will depend on the type of roof your block has; however, different types can experience different issues. With flat roofs, for instance, extreme heat can cause air or moisture trapped under the roof membrane to expand, creating bubbles and blisters that will eventually crack and leak.
Intense heat can dry out wooden battens and weaken the adhesives and mortars securing roof tiles, causing them to slip or buckle out of place. In addition, the rubber and tar sealants used around chimneys, vents, and skylights can dry out and crack, destroying waterproof seals and creating entry points for water.
Cladding panels on the sides of buildings can also be a problem, particularly if they are attached to structural steel/concrete frames. Differences in expansion between the metal sub-frame and any exterior skin can lead to warped panels, popped fixings, and hairline fractures in any rendering.
Overheating
Modern blocks can be designed for high energy efficiency (to retain winter heat), acting as giant “thermos flasks”. Once heat penetrates the concrete or brick structure, it remains trapped overnight.
These issues can be compounded by communal heating pipework. Uninsulated or poorly lagged hot water pipes running through internal corridors continuously radiate heat into communal hallways and adjacent flats, driving ambient indoor temperatures dangerously high.
It also doesn’t help if residents and tenants don’t leave their windows open – which they may prefer not to for security reasons, or to block out noise.
Pest Infestations
In hot weather, residential blocks are highly susceptible to infestations of ants, wasps, cockroaches, bed bugs, and flies. Higher temperatures accelerate insect breeding cycles, while the close proximity of units and shared utilities make containing these pests in flats particularly challenging.
Residential Block Management Services from Maunder Taylor
Maunder Taylor can help tenants and leaseholders deal with all these issues either through day-to-day service charge management, or our emergency assistance via DBK Building & Property Maintenance Ltd.
We manage residential blocks according to the terms of the leases, the law, the RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) Residential Service Charge Management Code, and the ARMA (the Association of Residential Managing Agents) Consumer Charter.
For more information on our residential block management services in Hertfordshire and North London, follow this link or call us on 01707 665 666. We also offer a range of other property related services – from commercial property insurance in Barnet, to house valuation surveys in Whetstone, and office lease renewals advice in London. For more information on any of these, call our head office on 020 8446 0011.
FAQs
Q: Who is responsible for dealing with issues such as those listed above?
A: In residential blocks, the freeholder or management company is generally responsible for structural issues like roof damage and subsidence. Pest control responsibility is split: the freeholder manages communal areas and structural entry points, while residents or tenants handle pests caused by unhygienic behaviour or neglect within the confines of their own flats.
Q: Does the managing agent have a legal responsibility if flats become dangerously hot?
A: Under the modernised Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) rules, “Excess Heat” is recognised as a statutory housing hazard. While managing agents cannot control weather, freeholders and RMCs have a duty to ensure building systems (such as mechanical ventilation or communal heating pipe insulation) do not actively exacerbate indoor temperatures.
Q: Is it acceptable for residents to prop open communal fire doors to cool down hallways?
A: Definitely not. Propping open fire doors is a major fire safety violation under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. Fire doors exist to contain smoke and flames during an emergency. RMCs and managing agents must strictly enforce this rule and should consider installing passive communal ventilation (like automatic smoke/heat vents) if corridors become excessively hot.
Q: Can individual leaseholders install air conditioning units on their balconies or external walls?
A: Generally, no – not without formal consent. The external walls, structural fabric, and balconies almost always remain the property of the freeholder or RMC under the lease. Retrospective or unapproved installations violate lease terms and risk penetrating waterproof membranes. Leaseholders must submit a formal Licence for Alteration application, including acoustic and structural impact assessments, before installing any external A/C condensing units.