By Laura Street, Director, Pure Block Management
At Pure Block Management one of the first things we do when taking over the management of any residential block development is carry out a comprehensive review of its current condition, to establish a clear picture of the maintenance and repair work required.
Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) Surveys have long been part and parcel of our work, and we were pleased to see them become mandatory under the RICS Service Charge Residential Management Code (4th edition) earlier this year.
The code is designed to promote best practice across the sector and applies to landlords, managing agents, self-managed blocks, residents’ management companies, and right to manage companies involved in the management of residential property.
It mandates structured, long-term PPM plans to help landlords and leaseholders anticipate, plan, and budget for future expenditures.
By moving away from reactive maintenance, it helps avoid unexpected, high-cost projects, for which leaseholders suddenly have to find the funds for.
By identifying necessary works well in advance, managing agents, such as our team at Pure Block Management, can plan and organise repairs and maintenance to be carried out in a timely fashion.
It allows funds to be raised in advance - before any issues become too serious - whilst also minimising disruption to residents' lives.
What should a Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) report include?
It should include the present condition of a building and consider both current defects and future planned maintenance.
Details of systematic maintenance, intended to prevent deterioration over a 5–10-year period, should also be included, and the plan should be periodically updated.
What needs to be considered in a PPM residential property survey?
RICS identifies the following principal building, external-area and service categories as relevant components of a PPM survey
- Principal structural and building fabric elements
- Roof coverings observable from accessible vantage points;
- Rainwater goods
- Brick façades
- Windows and external doors
- Common entrances;
- Staircases and landings
- Common floor, wall and ceiling finishes
- Common doors and associated ironmongery
- Visible common services at building-surveyor level
- Passenger lift installations externally and within accessible common areas;
- Garages and ancillary buildings
- Paved access routes and hard-standings
- External steps
- Surface-water drainage
- Boundary and retaining walls
- Gates, barriers and associated external metalwork
- Landscaping insofar as it affects the fabric and maintenance of the property.
How is each area of the building assessed and rated in a PPM survey?
At Pure Block Management we work to the condition-rating approach set out within the RICS PPM standard, which are:
- Good – serviceable and requiring no significant repair beyond normal cyclical maintenance.
- Fair – generally serviceable but exhibiting age, weathering, wear or local defects requiring planned maintenance.
- Poor – materially deteriorated, damaged, moving or approaching the end of economic life, such that repair or renewal is required within the PPM period.
- Hazardous – presenting an immediate safety or statutory concern requiring urgent action.
Work priorities are also set out and classed as one of the following:
- Urgent - Action required directly following identification.
- Essential - Repair/action necessary to prevent material deterioration or increasing liability.
- Desirable - Appropriate planned improvement or preventative intervention.
- Cyclical - Recurring planned maintenance.
- Statutory/Specialist - Maintenance or inspection associated with a specialist or statutory regime.
For cost-planning purposes, each required work is also allocated a timeframe. These are;
- Immediate - within one year
- Short term - within 1–2 years
- Medium term – within 3-5 years
- Long term – within 6–10 years
How are costs presented in a 10-year PPM schedule?
At Pure Block Management, we work with reputable surveyors to produce a fully itemised scheduled of projected service and maintenance costs for each building element.
This details the condition status of each building element, recommendation for works, the priority of the work to be completed, and the cost within a year, 1 to 2 years, 3 to 5 years, and 6 to 10 years, with a total 10-year cost.
Clients are also provided with an overall summary of costs for all repair and maintenance work across the entire development for year one, and each of the following periods up to 10 years.
Why is the report important for service charge planning and budgets?
Residential property blocks require the funds to be in place to be able to complete all works required, when they are required, with the funds collected through a service charge to leaseholders.
A PPM plan should be communicated to owners and leaseholders, giving them the information they need for forward maintenance planning and annual service charge budgeting.
It brings clarity and justification when asking for extra contributions to reserve or ‘sinking’ funds.
Under RICS Professional Standards and subject to lease agreements, property managers cannot arbitrarily collect reserve funds.
A PPM provides the definitive, technical justification needed to collect contributions legally and transparently from leaseholders.
In need of a Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) Survey and Plans for your residential block? Contact our team today at hello@purebm.co.uk
ENDS
