Block of flats communal bills

[nannymags]

Hi I live in a new build block of flats and have noticed during lockdown my neighbour, who seems to have some sort of business trading cars, is very frequently hoovering and washing these cars out the front.

My question is; will this increase the communal water and electric bills a notable amount? If so, is there anything that can be done about it?

I haven’t asked the management company yet as I imagine they won’t want to get involved.

Any suggestions and feedback welcome!

Thank you

Yes! I’d be furious!

Check your Lease as he is probably not allowed to operate a business from home or use utilities in the way he is doing so

Thank you! I didn’t know if I was being stingy or unreasonable. Good idea to check the lease agreement

Do the flats not have individual meters for utilities? Is that usual?

Surely you have separate bills for water and electricity. I cant imagine you have shared Bills. Have you checked. That would be most unusual in the UK.

You have communal electricity and water? Do you not get water/elec bills of your own?

Where is his hoover plugged in and water coming from?

I would definitely tell management company regardless, they almost certainly don't want a business beyond run from there.

Sorry for confusion.
Each individual flat has their own utilities but there is a separate electric meter for the whole block which the management company will charge us for lights etc but there’s also a water hose at the back for anybody to access so I’m assuming we will be billed for that also.

I think I should query with management company.... and maybe look into getting meter readings if possible.

TemoraryUsername

There’s a plug socket in foyer which cleaners usually use to hoover the main stairwell and entranceway. That’s what he’s plugging his hoover into with an extension lead

If the management company don't"want" to get involved what's the point of them? You presumably pay for their services so is a dispute / securing communal utility points with access control part of that remit?

He's not meant to use those, they're for cleaners/garden maintenance! I'd definitely contact the leaseholder. On a separate note are you sure you'll be billed for communal utilities this is generally built into service charges? (Which may increase if they find the utilities are very high)

Yes I'd complain if someone is regularly using the communal electricity.
I'd not mention it for a once a year car clean
Or using an electric tool in garden as no easy way to get to plug in their flat without multiple extenders out the window.

You need to report him but ensure you cover more than him using the shared utilities to complain on as you may not give the management company enough grounds to take action.

While lots of flat leases can allow people to run businesses from home they aren't allowed to run any that disturb their neighbours.

For example he could be disturbing you by:

1. Frequently leaving a trailing electrical wire across the entrance hall as this is a trip hazard
2. Noise of vacuuming when everyone is locked in
3. If he's not using his own parking space then he's blocking access

Also if he has frequent visitors and/or has any for sale signs on the cars bring this up.

Our son bought a brand new, one-bedroomed flat in 2017. There was only one water meter for the building so all the tenants, about 50 or so, paid an equal share of the water bill. Very unfair when there were also 3-bedroom apartments in the block. But it was in the paperwork so nothing he could do.
It is a lovely flat and wasn't a deal breaker.

Yes you will all be paying for that. Communal electric outlets should have a lock on so only the cleaners can use them. It sounds strange but these special sockets are readily available. There will almost certainly be something in the lease to prohibit this even if its just the nuisance clause. This could turn out to be very expensive for you at some point as it will get added to your service charge. Let's hope the management is submitting actual electric and water meter readings rather than relying on estimates, or it will be a big shock one year .

I read plenty of leases at work. The most that the majority allow is a home office type business. Check your lease then report to the management company. They (or sometimes the freeholder) have an obligation to you to enforce the rules in the lease.

Absolutely report to your building managers. I used to live in a block where someone had put their washing machine and tumble drier in their garage which ran off communal electricity so that they could get the rest of us to pay for his laundry bill

But do others in the block enjoy using these facilities to clean and vac their cars? I think the first thing to do is find out what the bill actually is per flat. It should be minimal. If it ends up that no one can do it and has to pay to have their cars cleaned instead it's a false economy.

All tenants will be billed for the usage vis the service charge. Once this is reconciled you will be charged a % each for the energy used on the communal meter. I would ensure that you let the managing agents know.

Thank you all for your helpful comments. I’m off to do some research if my lease agreement, check meter readings and get in contact with the management company!
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