For block management – think on, think Omnia

Block Management FAQs

Click the questions below to expand them and read our answers:

How can you convince us that you offer a quality service at a fair cost?

Omnia Estates Limited was created to offer a local highly focused property management service to property owners.

Our philosophy is that our managed properties must be within 1 hour’s drive time of our head office, to enable us to provide a fast, efficient, cost effective and pro-active service.

All our buildings have a dedicated website set up that acts as an information site for all visitors, with a password protected backup site, that contains, accounts, insurance details, minutes of meetings etc, all of which can be downloaded. Furthermore, all documentation including purchase invoices, bank statements etc., are always made available upon request.

When competing with national management companies we regularly achieve service charge budget savings, and rarely exceed budgets. We achieve this by competitive management charges, no hidden extras, regular comparisons against budgets, large purchasing power, and the use of competitive local suppliers.

As members of ARMA (Association of Residential Managing Agents) we are required to conduct our business within strict guidelines open to audit and scrutiny.

We are members of the Surveyors Ombudsman Scheme who oversee our complaints procedure; to date we have no complaints registered against our company.

Over and above any individual qualifications all our staff are trained, or in training with ARMA, relating to their field of expertise.

Our client list varies from small management companies with ten apartments, management companies with 187 properties to large investment companies holding large property portfolios. Our portfolio is diverse and covers every property type. This diversity gives us a broad range of skills all directed at efficient property management. See Appendix 1 for sample properties. References for any of these properties are available upon request.

We employ our own team of maintenance staff who are on call 24/7, and have a large contractor base made up mainly of local companies, whose charges and levels of service are audited regularly.

As a local privately owned company our reputation is very important to us. All staff members are fully committed to delivering high levels of customer service and all staff, including directors, are contactable at all times.

Can you provide all your relevant company details, including the names of directors?

Omnia Estates Limited, Omnia One Queen Street, Sheffield S1 2DU

Telephone: 0114 279 2840 Fax: 0114 279 2840 Email: info@omniaestates.com Website: www.omniaestates.com

Directors: Joanne Race & Amy Ryan

From which office would you service our property?

Our head office: Omnia Estates Limited, Omnia One Queen Street, Sheffield S1 2DU.

How many staff in your company are involved with management?

Our staff members.

Joanne Race Managing Director
Amy Ryan Operations Director
Michael Harrision Senior Residential Property Manager
Dean Hussain Head of Accounts
Becky Hague Head of Lettings
Shannon West Health, Safety and Compliance Manager
Andrew Steel Property & Helpdesk Manager
Tony Hutchinson Commercial Property Manager
Alex Wild General manager
Jackie Plumb Regional Manager
Lyndsey Nistor Credit Control Manager
Key:
MAAT: Member of AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) IRPM: Institute of Residential Property Management
What is your fee structure?

Please contact our office for a bespoke quotation.

How comprehensive a panel of contractors do you have?

We employ our own team of first line maintenance contractors who are on call 24/7. From there we have a large database of trusted contractors covering all disciplines. Wherever possible contractors are locally based, the benefit being, speed of service and cost. Regular reviews are held with contractors.

Do you charge a fee for contractor selection, and/or a percentage of their charges, for contractors chosen by you or us?

No. All our costs are included in our management fee. The only time we would seek additional charges would be if we were specifically asked to undertake additional work by the directors. We don’t take any commissions of any description.

What selection criteria do you use for contractors on your panels?

Location. We ask these questions: Are they known to us? Have they been recommended? What price do they charge? What are their resources?

How often does a representative of your company visit blocks you manage and check on how your contractors fulfil their obligations?

We have regular informal checks carried out by our maintenance team, a formal monthly check by a property inspector, which includes a written report, which in turn is uploaded onto the website. A six monthly check by a senior manager and an annual check by a senior manager / director along with directors of the management company.

What IT facilities do you have and what information can you record and keep updated? Are you registered under the Data Protection Act?

We operate a property management software system called Property Manager, which records and archives all relevant property, owner and financial information. As well as Property Manager, we use Sage for financial management. Yes, we are registered under the Data Protection Act.

Where and how do you keep service charge monies, how are they administered and who receives any interest?

All our client accounts are with HSBC held for the benefit of the owners, we operate two bank accounts, one for day to day activities and one to hold reserve fund monies. The accounts are trust accounts, which means the money is fully protected. All interest is accrued in the clients’ bank accounts. Accounts are administered by our accounts staff.

Can you supply an example of the format of financial information you will use for our estate?

We produce and distribute an annual budget, along with audited accounts.

Describe how you deal with unpaid service charges? What procedures are in place to deal with non-paying lessees?

To run any development effectively and fairly, service charges must be paid on time. Once invoices have been issued, we send one gentle reminder letter giving 7 days to pay. If this fails, we send a final letter informing the leaseholder that the matter will be placed in the hands of solicitors, at which time they will incur additional charges. We use specialist law firms who chase the arrears, and all costs are added to the leaseholders’ bill.

How do you deal with lessees in breach of their leases?

Any breach of lease is dealt with by informing the leaseholder of the breach and giving them time to remedy it. Constant breaches would be dealt with in consultation with the directors and legal advice sought if necessary.

Do you offer an out-of-hours service for emergencies? If so, please provide details.

Yes. We offer a 24/7 emergency service. Our main office number: 0114 279 2840, diverts to our on-call maintenance operatives.

What length of notice period do you require?

An initial 12 month contract, followed by a 3 month notice period.

What professional or trade bodies is your firm a member of?

ARMA: The Association of Residential Managing Agents www.arma.org.uk

BCA: The Business Centre Association www.bca.uk.com

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