Frequently Asked
Questions

Yes. We manage new-build blocks from completion, including developer handovers where the developer has appointed a managing agent and the RTM company or directors wish to change agent. We also work with developers who want to appoint a managing agent before completion.

Our block management portfolio covers East London (Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham), North London (Enfield, Haringey), and Essex (Romford, Upminster, Hornchurch, Brentwood, Grays, Tilbury, Purfleet, Basildon, Billericay, Wickford, Chelmsford).

If your building is outside these areas, contact us — we may be able to help or refer you to an accredited agent in your area.

A new RTM company needs a managing agent, a designated client account, buildings insurance, a fire risk assessment, and an initial service charge budget. We work with new RTM companies from the point of acquisition and advise on what needs to be in place from day one. We also conduct a full financial and compliance audit on the building at handover so that directors have an honest picture of what they have taken on.

See our guide to Right to Manage for more detail on the process.

We currently manage 23+ residential blocks across our East London, North London, and Essex portfolio. We are selective about the blocks we take on — we do not grow the portfolio faster than we can manage it well.

It depends on your management contract. Most contracts have a fixed notice period — typically one to three months — and some have a fixed initial term. Check your contract for the notice period and any break clauses. If you are uncertain, send us the relevant section and we will advise. In most cases, switching is more straightforward than directors expect.

Yes. An uncooperative outgoing agent is a complication, not a barrier. We know what the outgoing agent is legally required to provide on handover and the timescales they must meet. We chase formally and in writing, and we escalate through their professional membership body and The Property Ombudsman where necessary. In the meantime, we begin managing the building from the agreed handover date regardless.

The outgoing agent should provide: the client account balance and bank statement, all compliance certificates (FRA, EICR, gas safety, lift certificates, etc.), buildings insurance documents, the current service charge budget and year-to-date accounts, leaseholder contact details, outstanding maintenance records, contractor details and contracts, and any open Section 20 consultations. If the outgoing agent does not provide these, we will pursue them on your behalf.

Your service charge funds are held in a designated client account by the outgoing agent. On handover, those funds are transferred to the new client account we set up for your building. We reconcile the balance against the outgoing agent's statement as part of our day-one financial audit and report any discrepancies to directors before management begins.

The notice period in your management contract is the main variable — typically one to three months. The practical handover happens in the final two to four weeks of that period. From serving notice to active management by Neon is usually six to twelve weeks. We advise you on timing so that the handover does not fall at a difficult point in the service charge cycle.

Our management fee is based on a percentage of the annual service charge budget, or a fixed fee per unit per year, depending on the building. We provide a written quote for every building before you commit to anything. There are no hidden charges — everything is set out in the management contract before we start.

We do not quote a headline fee and then add charges for routine activity. Items that some agents charge separately — issuing service charge demands, responding to leaseholder enquiries, attending AGMs — are included in our management fee unless specifically agreed otherwise.

We use a standard management contract that sets out the scope of our services, our fees, the notice period, and the obligations of both parties. We provide the contract before you instruct us and we are happy to discuss any provisions that are unclear. We do not use contracts with long initial terms or punitive exit clauses.

Our standard notice period is three months on either side. Long enough to allow a proper handover if you choose to move elsewhere, short enough that you are not locked in indefinitely if you are dissatisfied.

Major works and Section 20 consultations involve significant additional work beyond routine management. We charge a separate fee for major works procurement and Section 20 management, agreed in advance with directors before the process begins. This is standard across the industry. We do not charge for advising directors that Section 20 is required or for straightforward maintenance decisions.

AGM attendance is included in our management fee for the annual general meeting. Additional meetings called outside the normal cycle may be subject to an attendance fee, agreed in advance.

Every building we manage has its own designated client account — funds are never pooled across buildings. The account is held in the building's name as a trust account. Directors and leaseholders can see the account balance and transaction history through the online portal. Service charge funds are not accessible to Neon for any purpose other than the management of your building.

Yes. Annual service charge accounts are prepared and certified by a qualified accountant. Accounts are issued to leaseholders within six months of the year end as standard. We do not allow accounts to become overdue — late accounts create exposure under the 18-month rule and undermine leaseholder confidence.

Yes. Leaseholders have online portal access to service charge account information. They also have statutory rights under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 to request a summary of costs and to inspect the underlying accounts and receipts. We do not obstruct these requests.

We prepare a draft budget for the coming year and present it to directors for approval before demands are issued. The budget is based on actual maintenance requirements, known compliance costs, and a realistic reserve fund contribution. We do not set budgets at the lowest number that avoids leaseholder complaints — we set them at the level required to maintain the building properly.

The reserve fund (or sinking fund) is money collected through the service charge and held to fund future major works — roof replacement, external repairs, lift renewal. We manage the reserve fund as a separate designated account. Reserve fund money is held on trust and cannot be used for operational costs.

Our standard management includes: commissioning and tracking the fire risk assessment and all resulting actions, buildings insurance placement and renewal, management of insurance conditions, gas safety certificates for communal systems, electrical inspection certificates for communal areas, lift inspection certificates and statutory maintenance, water risk assessment where required, and compliance calendar management to ensure nothing is missed. These are not add-ons — they are part of how we manage every building.

Urgent and high-priority actions from the fire risk assessment are addressed immediately — we do not log them and review them at the next management meeting. We advise directors on the urgency, arrange remedial works, and confirm completion. An outstanding high-priority FRA action is a documented risk that the responsible person is aware of and has not addressed. That is a serious legal and insurance exposure.

Yes. For buildings where an EWS1 assessment is required — typically those with cladding, combustible materials, or external wall systems of uncertain specification — we manage the commissioning of a qualified assessor and liaise with mortgage lenders and insurance brokers on the outcome.

For buildings that meet the higher-risk building definition under the Building Safety Act 2022 — 18 metres or more in height, or seven or more storeys, with at least two residential units — we manage the additional compliance requirements: BSR registration support, Safety Case documentation, golden thread maintenance, and resident engagement.

With a full compliance audit. Before we begin active management of any new instruction, we identify every compliance gap, prioritise by urgency, and report to directors. We do not start managing a building and discover compliance problems in month three. The audit is the starting point, not an afterthought.

It is a service for private landlords who want their regulatory obligations managed correctly without the cost of full property management. We handle the compliance obligations that every landlord in England carries: gas safety certificates, electrical installation condition reports, EPCs, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, deposit protection, prescribed information, and the requirements of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. We also provide rent collection and arrears monitoring.

Yes. Landlord compliance management is a document-based service and is available to landlords anywhere in England. We do not need to visit the property to manage the compliance obligations. We coordinate with your existing contractors or appoint qualified engineers in your area.

A letting agent typically manages the full tenancy — finding tenants, conducting viewings, referencing, and day-to-day management. Our landlord compliance management is focused specifically on the compliance obligations that carry legal and financial risk. We do not find tenants or conduct viewings. We are the service for landlords who already manage their own tenancies but want the compliance handled professionally.

It is a fixed-fee audit of your current compliance position. We review the documentation for your property — gas safety, EICR, EPC, smoke alarms, deposit protection, tenancy agreement, prescribed information — and produce a written report identifying every gap. The audit costs £88 and there is no obligation to use our ongoing compliance management service afterwards.

See the £88 compliance audit page for more detail.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolishes Section 21, introduces periodic tenancies for all new lettings, and changes how rent increases are processed. We are tracking the commencement timetable and will update all clients when the Act comes into force. Our compliance management service will be updated to reflect the new requirements as they take effect.

Yes. Rent collection and arrears monitoring are included in our landlord compliance management service. We alert you from day one of a missed payment and manage the formal notice process — including Section 8 notices — when needed.

Contact us by phone or email with your building address and a brief description of your situation. We will confirm within 24 hours whether we can help. For block management, we will arrange a site visit or a call with the directors. For landlord compliance, we can begin the audit process immediately.

Directors have a named contact at Neon. You are not passed between call handlers. For day-to-day matters, you contact your named manager directly. For urgent matters outside office hours, we provide an out-of-hours contact number.

Leaseholders can contact us by phone or email for maintenance requests, compliance queries, and service charge questions. They also have online portal access to account information and building documents. We respond to leaseholder enquiries within one working day.

We do not impose long initial contract terms. Our standard contract runs month-to-month after the initial setup period and is terminable on three months' notice by either party. We believe the best protection against directors wanting to leave is doing the work well, not locking them into a contract.

Contact us directly. We want to know when something is not working. If a complaint cannot be resolved directly, you have access to The Property Ombudsman for independent dispute resolution. We are also regulated by the TPI accreditation scheme.

Yes. We hold professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance. Details are available on request.