Planned Maintenance for Blocks of Flats
Proactive building maintenance management that protects your property, controls costs, and ensures your building remains safe and well-maintained for years to come.
What Is Planned Maintenance and Why Does It Matter?
Planned maintenance is the systematic scheduling of maintenance work on a building to preserve its condition, prevent deterioration, and extend the lifespan of key components. For a block of flats, this means anticipating when elements such as the roof, windows, communal decorations, and mechanical systems will need attention and budgeting for these works in advance. At Block, our approach to planned maintenance housing ensures that every building we manage has a clear, costed programme of works that protects the property and the interests of leaseholders.
Without a structured building maintenance plan, buildings deteriorate faster, repair costs escalate, and leaseholders face unexpected special levies to fund emergency works. Many planned maintenance companies and property maintenance companies UK recognise that proactive management is far more cost-effective than waiting for things to go wrong. A well-maintained building also retains its value and provides a better living environment for residents.
As part of our wider block management services, planned maintenance block of flats programmes are fully integrated with financial planning, compliance management, and day-to-day building maintenance to ensure a seamless, professional approach.
Planned Maintenance vs Reactive Maintenance
Understanding the difference between planned preventative maintenance and reactive maintenance is essential for effective building maintenance management. Reactive maintenance responds to problems after they occur, such as fixing a leaking roof or replacing a broken boiler. While some reactive maintenance is unavoidable, a building that relies solely on it will always cost more to maintain in the long run.
Planned preventative maintenance, by contrast, identifies and addresses issues before they become emergencies. Regular inspections, condition surveys, and scheduled servicing allow problems to be caught early, when they are cheaper and easier to fix. For example, replacing deteriorating roof flashings during a planned programme costs a fraction of repairing water damage caused by a roof failure.
At Block, we manage both reactive maintenance and planned programmes. Our goal is to minimise unexpected repairs by investing in proactive planning, while ensuring that any reactive maintenance issues are dealt with swiftly and professionally when they do arise.
What Does a Planned Maintenance Programme Include?
A comprehensive building maintenance plan covers every major element of the building over a defined cycle, typically 10 to 30 years. The building maintenance services list for a typical block of flats includes:
Each element is scheduled based on its expected lifespan and current condition, with estimated costs included so that contributions can be collected through the service charge in advance. The plan is reviewed and updated regularly, including after any lift maintenance or major works are completed, to reflect the building's current condition.
Budgeting for Planned Maintenance Through Service Charges
One of the greatest benefits of a planned maintenance programme is the ability to budget for major works in advance. Rather than hitting leaseholders with large, unexpected bills, costs are spread over time through the annual service charge and a dedicated reserve fund, sometimes called a sinking fund.
The reserve fund collects annual contributions from leaseholders based on the anticipated cost and timing of future works. For example, if a roof replacement costing £60,000 is expected in 15 years, annual contributions of £4,000 can be collected to build up the necessary funds. This approach is fairer, more transparent, and avoids the financial shock of sudden major expenditure. It is a core principle of sound block management.
At Block, we prepare detailed reserve fund studies alongside our building maintenance plan for every building we manage. Leaseholders receive clear information about what works are planned, when they are expected, and how contributions are calculated. This transparency builds trust and ensures that funds are available when works are needed, without recourse to special levies or borrowing.
Legal Obligations for Freeholders and Managing Agents
The freeholder of a block of flats has a legal obligation under the lease to maintain the building structure, common parts, and shared services. This duty extends to ensuring that the building remains in a reasonable state of repair throughout the term of the lease. Appointing a competent managing agent to implement a planned maintenance programme is one of the most effective ways to fulfil this obligation.
Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, service charge costs must be reasonably incurred and for work carried out to a reasonable standard. This applies equally to planned maintenance works. Leaseholders have the right to be consulted on major works costing more than £250 per leaseholder under the Section 20 consultation process, which ensures transparency and allows leaseholders to nominate contractors.
Managing agents also have a duty of care to manage buildings competently. The RICS Service Charge Residential Management Code recommends that managing agents prepare and maintain a planned maintenance programme and reserve fund study for every building they manage. At Block, we follow these best practices as standard across our entire portfolio, supporting both freeholder and leaseholder interests.
Frequently Asked Questions About Planned Maintenance
What is planned maintenance in housing?
Planned maintenance in housing refers to scheduled, proactive maintenance work carried out on a building at predetermined intervals to preserve its condition, prevent deterioration, and extend the lifespan of key components. Unlike reactive maintenance, which responds to problems after they occur, planned maintenance anticipates wear and tear and addresses it before failures happen. In a block of flats, this includes cyclical redecoration, roof inspections, window replacement programmes, lift servicing, and fire safety system testing.
What is considered planned maintenance?
Planned maintenance covers any maintenance activity that is scheduled in advance rather than carried out in response to an emergency or breakdown. This includes cyclical decorations, roof repairs and replacements, window and door renewals, lift overhauls, boiler servicing, fire alarm testing and upgrades, gutter and rainwater goods replacement, structural surveys, and communal area refurbishments. A building maintenance plan typically schedules these works over a 10 to 30-year cycle based on the expected lifespan of each building component.
Who is responsible for repairs in a block of flats?
The freeholder or their appointed managing agent is typically responsible for arranging repairs and maintenance in a block of flats. The lease sets out the landlord's repairing obligations, which usually cover the building structure, roof, exterior walls, communal areas, and shared services. The cost of these repairs is recovered from leaseholders through the service charge. In buildings managed by a Right to Manage company or residents' management company, the directors assume responsibility for arranging repairs through their appointed managing agent.
What are the three types of planned maintenance?
The three main types of planned maintenance are preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, and corrective maintenance. Preventive maintenance involves routine servicing and inspections carried out at fixed intervals to prevent breakdowns. Predictive maintenance uses condition monitoring and data to anticipate when components will need attention. Corrective maintenance is planned work to repair or replace components that have been identified as deteriorating but have not yet failed. A comprehensive building maintenance plan combines all three approaches to manage the building effectively.
What are the 7 steps of planned maintenance?
The seven steps of planned maintenance are: conducting a full building condition survey to identify current and future maintenance needs; preparing a prioritised schedule of works over a defined cycle; estimating costs for each element of work; establishing a reserve fund or sinking fund to collect contributions over time; procuring contractors through competitive tendering; supervising and inspecting completed works to ensure quality; and reviewing and updating the maintenance plan regularly to reflect completed works and changing priorities.
What is the 10% rule of preventive maintenance?
The 10% rule of preventive maintenance suggests that spending approximately 10% of a building's replacement value on annual maintenance will keep the property in good condition and avoid costly emergency repairs. While this is a guideline rather than a fixed rule, it highlights the importance of adequate ongoing investment in building maintenance. For blocks of flats, this principle supports the case for collecting sufficient service charge contributions and building a healthy reserve fund to finance planned maintenance programmes over the long term.
Need a Planned Maintenance Programme for Your Building?
Contact us for a free, no-obligation discussion about planned maintenance for your block. Our team will assess your building and recommend a building maintenance plan that protects your property and controls costs for leaseholders.