Residential Block Management

Block management is the day-to-day running of a residential building on behalf of whoever holds the management responsibility: collecting and accounting for the service charge, keeping the building compliant and insured, instructing and supervising contractors, and being the point of contact when something goes wrong.

Temphis manages around 1,000 units across 50 buildings, from converted period blocks to new-build schemes, larger estates and mixed-use developments. We take on ten to fifteen new properties a year, which is deliberate: we would rather manage a building properly than add it to a list.

What block management covers

Service charge budgeting and accounting. Annual budgets, demands issued on the lease timetable, year-end accounts, and client money held in ring-fenced accounts
Arrears recovery. A defined escalation path, applied consistently, so the building is not underfunded because collection was left to drift
Compliance. Fire risk assessments, and the duties that fall on the Accountable Person for higher-risk buildings under the Building Safety Act
Planned and reactive maintenance. A maintenance plan for the building rather than a series of emergencies
Contractor management. Procurement, specification and supervision, including section 20 consultation where the thresholds are met
Insurance. Placing and renewing buildings cover, handling claims, and disclosing commission
Company secretarial support for RTM companies and resident management companies
Reporting. Residents see budgets, expenditure and works through the Blockman and MyBlockman portals rather than having to ask

Who we work for

Freeholders and investors who need the asset maintained and the income accounted for. RTM companies and resident management companies, where the directors are volunteers who carry real legal duties and need those duties covered properly. Developers handing over a completed scheme who need management in place from practical completion.

How the money is handled

Service charge funds are held on statutory trust under section 42 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987. They belong to the leaseholders, not to us and not to the freeholder. We hold them in ring-fenced client accounts, account for them annually, and publish our fees rather than quoting differently building by building. Our full fee schedule is on the site.

Section 20 and major works

Consultation is required before qualifying works costing any leaseholder more than 250 pounds, or a qualifying long-term agreement costing any leaseholder more than 100 pounds a year. Getting the consultation wrong caps recovery at those figures regardless of what the work cost, which is the single most expensive procedural mistake in this sector. We run the notice stages and observation periods properly and keep the record.

Where we manage

Across Greater London, the South East, the North West and North Wales, from offices in London E18 and Conwy. A sample of the buildings currently under management, shown by area rather than by name:

Modern apartment building with balconies overlooks a landscaped courtyard with pathways, grass, rocks, and plants. — Bermondsey, London SE1

Modern multi-story building with curved balconies and glass facade, people walking on sidewalk, leafless trees beside the road. — Kentish Town, London NW5

Modern black apartment building with balconies, landscaped courtyard, small pool, and a partly cloudy sky in the background. — Croydon, London CR0

A three-story red brick apartment building with large windows and an entrance porch, set on a grassy lawn under a blue sky. — Ilford, Essex IG2

Modern building with dark paneling, large windows, and geometric grass and stone courtyard under a blue sky with clouds. — Kentish Town, London NW5

A row of red-brick Victorian townhouses with white trim and black cars parked along the street in front. — South Kensington, London SW7

A large country house with a circular driveway, surrounded by trees and parked cars on a sunny day. — Godalming, Surrey GU7

A large, old stone mansion with bay windows and a turret, set against a clear blue sky. — Llandudno, Wales LL30

Large, historic stone building with many windows, a central pediment, and a green lawn in front under a cloudy sky. — Anglesey, Wales LL58

A period house conversion in Liverpool — Toxteth, Liverpool L8

London apartment building being managed by Temphis — Stockwell, London SW9

Red-brick parade with ground-floor shops and flats above, Victoria Road, Romford RM1 — Victoria Road, Romford RM1

Georgian stucco-fronted terrace with iron railings, Guilford Street, Camden WC1N — Guilford Street, Camden WC1N

Modern mid-rise apartment building on a street corner, with balconies and large windows, trees and blue sky in the background. — Kentish Town, London NW5

A three-story brick apartment building with white trim, garage doors, and parked cars, set beside a wet road and greenery. — Harrow, Middlesex HA3

A row of Georgian-style terraced houses with brick facades and white trim, parked cars along the street, under a partly cloudy sky. — Marylebone, London W1H

A Tesco Express store with shops and apartments above, located on a street with a tree and bicycle racks on the sidewalk. — Chingford, London E4

Apartment building with stairs for external escape — Bournemouth BH1

Mixed use apartment building in London — Stockwell, London SW9

Brick corner parade with shopfronts and flats above, The Broadway, Chingford, London E4 — Broadway, London E4

Long cream-rendered terrace with shopfronts below and flats above, Hornsey Road, Islington N19 — Hornsey Road, Islington N19

Converted stone church with slate roof and rooflights, Woodland Road, Colwyn Bay LL29 — Woodland Rd, Colwyn Bay LL29

Modern three-story apartment building with balconies, large windows, and gray brick exterior along a quiet street. — Willesden, London NW2

Street view of buildings, including a Reiss store with a glass facade, cars parked along a wet road, and shops on the corner. — Marylebone, London W1U

Four-story brick townhouses with white ground floors, iron railings, balconies, and a white van parked on the street. — Marylebone, London W1H

Residential building managed by temphis — Peckham, London SE15

Mixed use apartment building with commercial on ground floor — Hackney, London E8

Red-brick and stone period mansion block, Great Peter Street, Westminster SW1P — Great Peter Street, Westminster SW1P

Red-brick Victorian villa with bay windows and blossom tree, Aberdour Road, Ilford IG3 — Aberdour Road, Essex IG3

A row of shops with apartments above, including open estates, on a cloudy day with parked cars in front. — Radlett, Hertfordshire WD7

Modern, multi-storey white building with grey roof, stone wall, and sidewalk on a sunny day with blue sky. — Llandudno, Wales LL30

A large, modern building with pointed towers, shops on the ground floor, and cars parked along the street under a blue sky. — Llandudno, Wales LL30

Residential property — Hampton Hill, London TW12

A period style building in Liverpool — Toxteth, Liverpool L8

House that has been converted to apartments — Tooting, London SW17

Modern apartment block in dark brick with pitched roof and balconies, Plaistow Lane, Bromley BR1 — Plaistow Lane, London BR1

Yellow-brick period corner building over three storeys, Lacy Road, Putney, Wandsworth SW15 — Lacy Road, Wandsworth SW15

Buildings are shown by area and postcode district rather than by name, because our clients would rather their addresses were not published.

Frequently asked questions about block management

What does a managing agent actually do?

Sets and collects the service charge, keeps the building compliant and insured, arranges maintenance and major works, enforces the lease, and accounts for the money. The lease sets the obligations and the agent carries them out on behalf of whoever holds them.

How much does block management cost?

Our fees are published in full on the fee schedule. Management fees are usually charged per unit per year, with defined charges for items such as LPE1 packs, licences to alter and section 20 consultation.

Who owns the service charge money?

The leaseholders. It is held on statutory trust under section 42 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 and kept in ring-fenced client accounts. It is not the agent money and not the freeholder money.

What is the 250 pound threshold?

If qualifying works will cost any single leaseholder more than 250 pounds, the section 20 consultation procedure applies. Without it, recovery is capped at 250 pounds per leaseholder however much the works actually cost.

Do you manage mixed-use buildings?

Yes. Several of the buildings above have ground-floor commercial units, which affects apportionment, insurance and consultation.

Can you take over mid-year?

Yes. Most handovers happen mid-year and take four to six weeks from notice. See how to change your managing agent.

Talk to us about your building

Temphis is regulated by RICS, a member of The Property Institute and registered with The Property Ombudsman, and is supervised by HMRC for anti-money-laundering purposes. We have been managing residential property since 2013.

Read the Temphis approach to block management, or the site audit mistake that costs owners most.

Request a management proposal.