Factoring FAQs

A property factor acts on the owners’ behalf to manage the common property repairs and maintenance. Keeping buildings up to standard is the responsibility of all the owners within the development and the property factor is there to help owners do this effectively.

Factoring services are services tailored to each development. They can include maintenance to:

• door entry systems and lifts
• stairwells
• lighting
• bin chutes
• common grounds
• other block specific maintenance

The title deeds of a property generally outline the liability and shared ownership of the common parts.

Fife Council provide a property factoring service where there is a mix of Fife Council owned properties and homeowners within a development.

Services may be delivered without any formal agreement being in place, or Fife Council will have been appointed as Property Factor following consultation with homeowners within the development.

For further clarification, please contact the Factoring team at Factoring@fife.gov.uk

Homeowners can be assured that the shared, common parts will be inspected regularly and will receive routine maintenance to keep them in good condition. This removes the burden from homeowners leading on services and repairs. Fife Council will oversee all work requests on the owners’ behalf.

A written statement details the terms and service delivery standards between the Property Factor and the homeowner. It is a requirement under the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011.

The Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 includes a Code of Conduct. The code of conduct sets out minimum standards of practice for registered property factors. Registered property factors are legally obliged to comply with the code.

Title deeds are a legal binding document outlining who owns (or has ‘title to’) the property. It confirms the parts of the building that are jointly owned with others; these being the shared or, common parts.

Owners may have the responsibility to share the cost of services, such as:

• the electricity or gas usage within the shared common areas
• cleaning and maintenance to common closes or stairwells
• maintenance work to common grounds
• caretaking services

Title deeds also confirm owners' share of liability for the ongoing maintenance and renewal of equipment within laundrettes. A copy of the title deeds can be obtained from Registers of Scotland by visiting www.ros.gov.uk

There is a variety of grounds maintenance services that can be tailored to the development including:

• Grass cutting
• Grass edge strimming
• Remove all litter and debris from shrub beds
• Summer and winter shrub bed maintenance
• Weed killing on hard standing surfaces

There is a variety of cleaning services that can be tailored to the development including:

• Stairwell, entrance and landings being swept
• Stairwell, entrance and landings being mopped
• Laundrette swept and mopped

The delegated authority limit is the financial threshold for instructing works, agreed through the ballot process by a majority of homeowners. This allows Fife Council to progress repairs up to the agreed limit.

The benefit to owners is this allows all works to be carried out, without consultation and in a timely manner. It removes the time constraints set out when there is a need to consult with homeowners to authorise repairs.

Fife Council are required to consult with homeowners for any repairs over the agreed threshold, and majority agreement is required before works can be carried out.

Please check our Written Statement of Services, section 8, page 11 for further information on the delegated authority limit.

Emergency or urgent repairs are those which, if left unattended, could cause major issues. This could include:

• affecting the structural integrity of the property
• affecting the occupation of the property
• causing a danger to public health
• compromising the security of the premises

Emergency or urgent repairs will be carried out without the prior consent of homeowners, due to the nature and urgency of these repairs.

The target time for emergency repairs is within 24 hours. The target time for an urgent repair is 5 days.

The cost of any emergency or urgent repairs will be included in the homeowners factoring invoice.

These are repairs where there is little or no risk to homeowners but need attention to maintain the building. The cost of any routine repairs will be included in the homeowners factoring invoice or the consultation process will have been progressed if the repair is over the delegated authority limit.

The target timescale for Routine repairs is within 30 working days.

An annual management fee will be charged to cover the day to day management costs of providing a factoring service. These services include, but are not limited to:

• arranging repairs and maintenance on behalf of owners
• annual block inspections
• staff, stationary and overhead costs
• downloading of title deeds
• raising invoices
• attending meetings with owners’ associations
• communicating with homeowners

This fee is charged to cover all costs to manage service delivery.

The costs are dependent upon the services carried out within the development owned. Each owner within the development is responsible for their share of associated costs for all services, repair work and improvements carried out.

The title deeds will clarify the rights, restrictions and responsibilities that come with ownership of a property with shared common areas. A breakdown of the costs for all the services will be issued along with the factoring invoice.

Council tax payments do not cover any of the costs relating to factoring services. It's the owner’s responsibility to maintain the communal areas within the block.

Council tax payments cover many public services delivered across Fife. Further information on how Council tax is spent can be found at How your council tax is spent | Fife Council

There are various ways to pay an invoice:

• Direct debit - to set up a direct debit, call us on 03451 55 11 55
• Automated telephone service - call us on 03451 55 00 55
• Online - www.fife.gov.uk/billpay
• Pay point - at any post office or pay point outlet
• BACS - Sort code 83-22-37 Account 00637537

To arrange a payment plan, please contact our Income Recovery team on 03451 55 11 55 (select option for invoices)

Fife Council does not currently operate a float or sinking fund. However, this is something that is being considered, to assist owners to budget for unexpected property costs.

Float Fund – is a small advance amount of money kept in a separate maintenance account for the factored property, which is used for repairs and maintenance.

Sinking Fund – is an amount of money set aside to cover future major works on common areas of the property.

Homeowners can appoint a relative or agent to manage property affairs. Please contact our Factoring service to discuss this further, as a signed declaration is required.

Please email Factoring@fife.gov.uk or call 03451 55 55 55 Ext 444504

When selling a property, it's important that the out-going owner makes the purchasers aware of their responsibilities for factoring services in the shared common parts of the property. The out-going owner must inform Fife Council that their property has been sold and ensure all factoring charges are paid up to date of the change of ownership. The factoring liability will then end and transfer to the new owner from this date.

In the event of a dispute, please contact us directly in the first instance so we can resolve any issues.

If you are not satisfied that your dispute has been resolved, then Fife Council have a complaint handling procedure of which outlines how to make a complaint. Complaints can be found at www.fife.gov.uk/commentsandcomplaints

If an official complaint has been made and you feel your complaint has not been resolved, you may proceed to The Housing and Property Chamber First-Tier Tribunal. This exists to resolve complaints between homeowners and factors.

Further information can be found at: www.housingandpropertychamber.scot