Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Block Management
Temphis is an RICS-regulated block management company specialising in high rise block management and comprehensive estate services. We prioritise transparency, compliance, and proactive management to serve freeholders, leaseholders, RMCs, RTM directors, and developers. Our expert approach includes property inspections, service charge management, and building safety compliance to ensure the smooth operation of residential and mixed-use estates across London, the South East, the North West of England, and North Wales.
What block management is
What does a block management company actually do?
A block management company oversees shared areas of residential or mixed-use buildings, covering cleaning, gardening, repairs, service charge collection, insurance, and fire and building safety compliance, including all obligations under the Building Safety Act. Temphis provides proactive financial planning, hands-on oversight, and an emergency line that is answered outside office hours by our out-of-hours team.
Why do blocks need professional management?
Without a professional manager, buildings often face neglected maintenance, rising costs, disputes between leaseholders, and legal risks if compliance is overlooked. A professional firm like Temphis provides expert block management services in North Wales & London to ensure your property is well-run, compliant, and financially sustainable, relieving directors or freeholders of the daily burden.
What’s the difference between block management and property management?
Property management typically relates to rental properties managed for landlords. Temphis is a trusted residential block management company providing compliant and transparent block management services, including maintaining communal areas like lifts, roofs, gardens, and parking facilities shared by multiple leaseholders. Our expert team ensures proper upkeep, building safety compliance, and efficient property inspections, supporting landlords and residents alike with proactive estate management.
Money and service charges
How does Temphis manage service charge money?
Funds are always held in separate, ring-fenced NatWest accounts as part of Temphis block management services in North Wales & London. Our annual budgets are prepared, consulted on, and reconciled at year-end, ensuring transparency. Independent accountants verify accounts for clarity and transparency, underscoring Temphis's commitment to clear and compliant property management. For what a service charge can and cannot cover, see our guide to service charges.
How does Temphis ensure transparency for leaseholders and directors?
Service charge and reserve funds are held in designated client accounts with NatWest, kept separate from the firm’s own money in line with the RICS Client Money Handling standard. Directors and leaseholders can see transactions and balances through the Blockman portal, and are entitled under section 21 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 to a written summary of the relevant costs, and under section 22 to reasonable facilities to inspect the invoices and receipts behind it.
What happens if leaseholders fall into arrears?
Our exact Temphis approach follows a fair but firm arrears recovery process. Early reminders are issued, followed by legal escalation where necessary. For buildings governed by the Building Safety Act, arrears are managed in line with statutory protections and cost caps, and any recovery action is proportionate to the sum outstanding.
Can Temphis reduce service charge costs?
Yes. Temphis frequently reduces costs by re‑tendering contracts, using smart meters for accurate billing and leveraging a vetted contractor network. Major contracts are put out to competitive tender and the quotations are shared with directors before anything is awarded, so the saving on any given contract is visible rather than asserted.
When do you have to consult leaseholders about works?
Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 sets two thresholds. If any single leaseholder would be charged more than £250 for a set of qualifying works, or more than £100 in any accounting period under an agreement running longer than twelve months, formal consultation is required before the money is committed. Consultation runs in stages — a notice of intention, then a notice of estimates, and in some cases a statement of the reasons for the choice made — with 30 days for leaseholders to make observations at each stage. Missing the consultation does not make the work unlawful, but it caps what can be recovered at £250 or £100 per leaseholder unless the First-tier Tribunal grants dispensation. We run the consultation, and the fee for doing so is published in our fee schedule. There is a fuller explanation, with a worked example and what happens when consultation is missed, in our guide to section 20 consultation.
Compliance and building safety
How do you manage Building Safety Act obligations?
For higher-risk buildings we maintain the golden thread of building information on behalf of the Accountable Person, who holds the statutory duty under the Building Safety Act 2022. As part of our high rise block management services, we manage Section 20 consultations, administer the Schedule 8 leaseholder cost protections, which apply to qualifying leases, and liaise effectively with councils, insurers, and the First-tier Tribunal as required, all while emphasising transparent contractor costs.
Do you handle fire safety requirements?
Yes. Temphis offers comprehensive fire door inspections, FRA reviews, EWS1 processes, and coordinates with councils, insurers, and remediation contractors. All updates are communicated clearly to leaseholders and directors, highlighting Temphis' commitment to transparent and hands-on block management services.
What health and safety measures do you cover?
Temphis manages statutory testing including lifts, alarms, emergency lighting, and Legionella compliance, with reports uploaded to the online portal for easy access. We also publish contractor costs and regular property inspections to ensure optimal building safety and resident satisfaction.
Repairs and contractors
How are repairs and emergencies handled?
Residents can report issues through MyBlockman, email or phone, with the temphis block management services ensuring a fast, accountable response via our 24/7 emergency line staffed in-house. Our reliable block management in North Wales provides compliant and transparent services, including property inspections and building safety compliance.
Do you have your own contractors or use external firms?
We use a vetted panel of trusted external contractors to guarantee compliance, quality and competitive pricing in our Temphis block management services. This approach ensures high standards and transparency in every project, whether in North Wales or London, and aligns with our commitment to delivering expert and compliant property management.
Can residents suggest their own contractors?
Yes. Directors and leaseholders may recommend contractors, provided they meet insurance, health and safety and compliance requirements, under Temphis block management services. We ensure that contractor recommendations align with our standards for insurance and safety, maintaining high construction management standards for North Wales and London properties. Temphis, a RICS regulated residential block management company, delivers compliant, transparent and hands-on property management, focusing on asset protection and resident satisfaction.
Right to Manage and changing agent
Do you manage RTM (Right‑to‑Manage) companies?
Yes. We support RTM directors with accounting, compliance, administration, and operational control, while directors retain overall authority. Temphis specialises in block management services, offering compliant and transparent property management solutions across North Wales and London, including high-rise and estate management. Our guide to RTM, RMC and the alternatives explains which arrangement applies to your building.
Can Temphis take over from my current managing agent?
Yes. Temphis follows a structured transition plan involving reviewing leases, re‑tendering services, transferring funds and records, and addressing urgent issues within the first 90 days, ensuring smooth block management services with transparent contractor costs.
How quickly can you start managing a new building?
Most contracts allow handover within three months. In urgent cases, Temphis can complete transitions in just a few weeks depending on document availability, ensuring efficient block management services in North Wales.
Do you only work with leaseholder‑led buildings?
Temphis works with freeholders, developers, housing associations, investors, RTMs and RMCs, providing expert block management services tailored to each client type. We specialise in compliant and transparent property management, including day-to-day estate operations, building safety compliance, and major works coordination across North Wales, London, and the South East.
Where we work
Where does Temphis operate?
Temphis manages residential blocks across North Wales, Central London, Greater London, the South East, and the North West of England. As a trusted residential block management company, Temphis provides compliant, transparent, and hands-on property management services, including expert service charge management and building safety compliance. Our team, founded by Chartered Surveyors, is dedicated to protecting asset value, ensuring statutory compliance, and enhancing resident satisfaction through proactive estate management.
Do you provide block management in Central London?
Yes. Temphis specialises in high rise block management and manages complex buildings throughout Central London, including those requiring Building Safety Act oversight. As a trusted residential block management company, Temphis also delivers transparent services such as property inspections and compliance support for North Wales and London properties.
Do you provide block management in Greater London?
Yes. We manage buildings of all sizes across Greater London, including small residential blocks and large, complex estates with plant rooms and concierge services. Temphis is a RICS regulated residential block management company specialising in transparent and compliant services such as property management, building safety compliance, and major works coordination.
Do you provide block management in the North West or North Wales?
Yes. Temphis provides full block management services throughout the North West of England and North Wales, offering the same compliance‑focused, hands‑on management approach as in London. We manage high-rise and mixed-use blocks in both regions, with monthly property inspections and the same statutory compliance regime.
Do you have experience with high‑rise and complex estates?
Yes. We’ve managed estates such as a purpose-built riverside development in SE1 and a period mansion block in NW5 with on-site staff, concierge services, complex M&E systems, fire safety requirements, and Temphis block management expertise. We apply this knowledge across all regions, including Greater London, the South East, the North West, and North Wales.
Working with Temphis
What makes Temphis different from other block management companies?
Temphis is a block management company that combines the professionalism of a national firm with the responsiveness of a boutique provider. We manage high-rise estates and residential buildings across North Wales, Central London, Greater London, and the South East, focusing on building safety compliance and transparent property management. As a RICS-regulated residential block management company, we specialise in statutory compliance, expert service charge management, and proactive estate oversight, ensuring resident satisfaction and asset protection.
What types of buildings do you manage?
Temphis offers expert block management services in North Wales & London, managing apartment blocks, high‑rise developments, complex mixed‑use estates, buildings with heat networks or shared plant, BSA‑affected buildings, new‑build developments, and buildings requiring operational turnaround.
How do residents and directors communicate with you?
Residents can log issues via MyBlockman as part of Temphis block management services. Directors have direct phone and email access to their dedicated property manager and senior team, ensuring efficient and transparent property management. Temphis provides compliant, hands-on estate management across North Wales and London, focusing on asset protection and resident satisfaction.
What if I am unhappy with the service?
Tell us, and it enters a formal procedure rather than a mailbox. Stage 1 is your property manager: acknowledged within 3 working days, with a full response within 10. If that does not resolve it there are two further internal stages — senior management, then director level — and then referral to The Property Ombudsman, of which Temphis is a member. The full procedure, with the timescale at each stage, is on our complaints page.
How do I get a quote for my block?
Temphis block management offers tailored property management solutions, ensuring compliant, transparent, and hands-on services. Contact us via the website or email with details of your block, and we will prepare a proposal including a clear fee structure.
Still have a question? Send us the building details and we will answer properly rather than send a brochure. If you are considering a change of agent, the three documents that make a first conversation useful are your current service charge budget, your most recent set of accounts, and a copy of a typical lease. Ask us about your building.