When you live in a shared building or estate, it’s not always clear who is responsible for what.
Read on to find out what a managing agent is, what they do and how we support you.
A managing agent is a company that looks after shared or communal areas in a building or estate. These can include things like:
What a managing agent looks after can vary depending on where you live and how the development was set up.
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Many customers have told us that it’s not always clear what managing agents are responsible, so we’ve reviewed our managing agents policy and created a guide to help make things easier to understand.
Read it here
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Managing agents are used for different reasons. Here are some of the most common:
We’re not the freeholder
Sometimes we manage your home but don’t own the building or land. In these cases, a managing agent may be appointed by the freeholder or a Resident Management Company.
We’re the freeholder
If we own the building, we look after it, but some shared spaces (such as communal gardens or private roads) may be managed by a managing agent on behalf of a Resident Management Company.
We’ve appointed a managing agent
In some developments, we appoint a managing agent to manage the homes we own - often because one is already managing the wider estate, parts of the estate or building. This helps keep services consistent for everyone as well as creating better value for money.
Some of these arrangements are set out in Section 106 agreements. These are legal agreements that help make sure new developments include affordable housing and that shared spaces are properly managed.
Here’s a simple guide to who does what:
Your home is your space. Whether you’re a tenant or shared owner, we’re here to support you.
We manage your tenancy or lease, provide day-to-day services, and are your main point of contact for anything related to your home, building or estate.
The organisation that legally owns the land or building. This could be us, a developer, or another company.
The organisation that leases the building, or parts of it, from the freeholder. This can include communal or structural areas.
In some buildings, we are the head leaseholder. If there is one, your tenancy or shared ownership lease sits under this head lease.
A company set up to manage shared areas and services. It’s usually run by volunteer leaseholders and works with managing agents to oversee maintenance, contracts and finances.
An organisation appointed to manage shared and communal areas on behalf of the freeholder, head leaseholder or Resident Management Company.
This can include cleaning, gardening and shared repairs to internal and external communal areas.
Whether you’ve lived with us for years or are just settling into your new home, we’re here to help you feel informed, supported and at home.
The Moat Offer, our guide to our services, explains what you can expect from us and how we support you day to day. You can find out more here or simply get in touch - we’re always happy to help.
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Always contact us first. Whether the issue is inside your home, in a shared hallway or somewhere outside on the estate. You don’t need to work out who’s responsible. We’ll take care of that, report issues to the managing agent or freeholder if needed, and keep you updated.
Phone: 0300 323 0011
Email: customer@moat.co.uk
Webchat: moat.co.uk
Online portal: MyMoat
Post: Moat, Mariner House, Galleon Boulevard, Dartford, Kent DA2 6QE
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Contact us in a way that best suits you – phone, online or in-person. We’ll report it to the managing agent responsible for your building and keep you informed.
If the whole system is affected, we’ll report it to the managing agent and update all affected residents. If it’s just your home, you may already have the information needed to contact the third-party heat supplier directly. If you don’t have these details, or you’re not sure who to contact, please get in touch with us and we’ll advise you on the next steps.
If you want to make changes to your home, you’ll need permission first. We’ll check the terms of your lease or tenancy agreement to see whether we can approve the request. If approval is needed from a managing agent, freeholder, or landlord, we’ll explain what’s required and how to apply.
We share day-to-day updates from managing agents, such as access code changes. For major works, the managing agent may contact you directly if you’re responsible for costs. We’re always here to answer questions.
Check your MyMoat portal or contact us for dates. During inspections, we review cleaning, grounds maintenance, communal repairs, and safety. You're welcome to join - just let us know!
Our Neighbourhoods or Property Services team will be happy to explain the safety measures in place.
Please report all concerns to us first. If it’s about a managing agent, we’ll escalate it through their complaints process. If it’s about our service, we’ll log your complaint and keep you informed every step of the way.
You can contact our Customer Service team on 0300 323 0011 or customer@moat.co.uk. If your question is about how a service is delivered, your Neighbourhood Services Manager will be in touch. If it’s about how your service charge is calculated or shared, our Service Charge team will respond to you directly.
