“GLASGOW FACTORING COMMISSION IDENTIFY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES AND CONCERNS IN THE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY”
The Glasgow Factoring Commission set up through Glasgow City Council has recently produced its Final Report entitled “ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES FOR THE MANAGEMENT, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES IN GLASGOW”. While this is a Glasgow based study, the Commission has recognised that the issues uncovered may well be replicated in other parts of urban Scotland.
Some key points brought out in the report are:-
Through the work of the Commission it became clear that a number of problems have been emerging which if not comprehensively addressed in the short to medium term will lead to significant and possibly irreversible damage to the economic and social fabric of hitherto stable areas of Glasgow.
There has been significant under investment on the part of homeowners over many years resulting in deterioration of properties.
There is significant widespread lack of understanding on the part of homeowners as to the importance of good property management and maintenance.
There is no obligation on the part of homeowners to carry out regular communal property condition checks and as a result no requirement to effect comprehensive maintenance plans.
There is a problem of balancing individual rights with the need to protect common property fabric as in the long run, preventative action will result in significant savings for current and future homeowners and will prevent factors from walking away before repair problems and non-payment become intractable.
The problem of individuals who refuse to pay their fair share of reasonable common repairs charges and insurance premiums is significant. This is perhaps the biggest single threat to the stability of the factoring and property maintenance systems across all of the factored stock categories.
To avoid a repeat of the situation which led to widespread slum clearance in the middle part of the twentieth century, the underlying causes of market failure must be addressed co-operatively by all of the key players immediately.
A critical point has been reached as century old factoring tradition in some cases appears to have broken down, in particular blocks of flats and areas across the city.
There is a need to rebuild confidence in property management providers through greater openness, transparency and regular feedback from consumers.
The current dispute resolution arrangement through the Homeowners Housing Panel and the Small Claims and Sheriff Courts are in themselves complex for owners to navigate and can be a traumatic experience for complainers.
The Commission provided a raft of recommendations involving local and national Government and many stakeholders contributing to the property industry.
For access to the full report, please go to https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=18348&p=0 If you would like to find out how we can assist homeowners with forward planning, and particularly communal property condition checks for your property, please contact our Facilities Manager, Jamie Elder at JElder@hackingandpaterson.co.uk or 0141 248 5693.
