Our Guidebook provides useful information about living at Brockwell Gate Estate, gives details about practical matters such as parking spaces and information about letting your property.

The Estate is managed by Brockwell Gate Management Company Limited, a team of residents who have come together to form a company.

The Company is responsible for looking after the Estate and for making sure that rules and covenants are enforced. It collects service charges and rent charges (but not ground rent), which pay for the services provided.

Brockwell Gate is an attractive development and we hope you will agree that it is a good place to live.  Please spend a moment or two looking over this Guide.

You may also want to join our on-line community. This is where residents communicate with each other and can access an archive of useful information with helpful advice about all kinds of things such as where the water meters are, how to check you are not paying too much council tax, recommendations for plumbers and electricians, and top tips. Please visit www.brockwellgate.com and click on Google Group to sign up.

The information about what to do (and what not to do) is drawn from the covenants which apply to properties on the Estate and the Estate Rules. These are all things, which we have signed up to, and complying with them will make life more pleasant for all of us. Full details are given in your lease (flats) or transfer (houses) and for the avoidance of doubt, the lease or transfer will prevail.

I hope you enjoy living on this development and that you will find this Guide useful.

Yours sincerely,


Chairman
Brockwell Gate Management Company Limited

Below are some of the items, which are prohibited in the Covenants in the Leases and Transfers and form part of the agreement under which you purchased your property:

Flats and houses may only be used as one private dwelling house in the occupation of one household only. Properties must not be sub-divided into individual parts or rooms for letting purposes. Please note that this covenant will be strictly enforced. You will also be breaking the law if a house on the estate is let in multiple occupation and it is not registered as such with the London Borough of Lambeth.

A.    Houses and flats must not be let on short-terms agreements. This is stated in the paragraph 21 of Schedule D in the transfer for houses, and equally in the lease for flats.  You must not rent out or create any tenancies in respect of the Property or part with possession of the Property for a period of less than six (6) months. This is extremely important, and forms a key part of the buildings insurance for flats.

B.    Ensure that your inform Brockwell Gate Management Company Limited that you plan to let your property due to insurance reasons (flats must also inform the Freeholder). Please send an email to info@brockwellgate.com or call 020 7100 8685.

C.    Ensure that Brockwell Gate Company Limited has a copy of the tenancy agreement.

D.    Ensure that we know the identity of the tenants and have at least one emergency telephone number (ideally mobile) of the head tenant. You may like to do so on this form.

E.    Ensure that any vehicle (car or motorcycle) belonging to the tenant is identified to the company. Inform tenants that there is no space on the development for the multiple parking of cars, and that not all properties have a parking space.

F.    Ensure that you leave a current correspondence address and other contact details for yourself as landlord and any other agency acting on your behalf (e.g. managing agent).

G.    Ensure that your tenants are fully aware of the covenants and associated restrictions and information about the company.

H.    Ensure tenants respect the rules and the lives of their neighbours regarding parking, noise, cleanliness and other restrictions contained in this document.

I.     Ensure that you comply with the restriction regarding multiple occupancy, which applies to both houses and flats (see paragraph 1.4 above).

A.    Due to restrictive covenant, please note that For Sale or For Let signs or any other related signs are not allowed in or on any flat or on any property on the estate.

B.    As soon as you have found a buyer for your property, please notify the company giving details of the proposed sale and your legal representatives. This will help the company to provide the necessary information to the purchasers in connection with the sale, and to register the transfer.

C.    It is always useful if you can inform the company as soon as you have agreed to sell your property. We can provide you with helpful information to assist you and your solicitor to ensure the transaction is efficient and rapid.

D.    Please visit www.brockwellgate.com/buyingandselling for a helpful list of frequently asked questions

A.    For flats, service charges are paid in one lump sum every January, or by 10 equal installments beginning in January through to October. Other details apply. The same provisions apply to houses with respect to the payment of the Variable Rent charge which is the equivalent of the service charge, but which only applies to the maintenance of the estate roads and gardens, and other communal facilities.  If your selling your property, you must settle the whole year's service charge to enable the sale to take place.

B.    It is important that payments are made regularly and properly even if as an owner you believe you have not received the correct documentation. The payment details are set out in your lease (for flats) or in your Transfer (for houses) and the onus is upon the owner to ensure that payments are met.

C.   The company will make every endeavour to contact the owner but it is the ultimate responsibility of the owner to ensure that the service charges are paid on time. If this is not the case the company reserves the right to use debt recovery agencies and these other costs will be added to your bill and may be charged against your property.

This is payable only in respect of flats. Your freeholder's agent is Estates and Management Limited.
Their contact details can be found on their website, www.e-m.uk.com 

Please ensure that your ground rent is paid. Otherwise the freeholder or his agent will reserve the right to charge you for breach of payment.

Please note - Brockwell Gate Management Company Limited is unable to assist or advise regarding your Ground Rent, as there is a directly agreement between the flat owner and Freeholder.

The fixed annual Rent Charge is only payable in respect of houses. This is the sum of £1 which is payable to Brockwell Gate Management Company Limited and is included in the demand for the Variable Rent Charge.

If you own a house and purchased a parking space, then you own that small piece of land. If you own a flat and purchased a parking space, then you only have an agreement with us to use the parking space (i.e. you do not own it, nor do you own the lease for the space, merely have permission to park. The space is owned by the Freeholder)

A.    In respect of both houses and flats the provisions regarding parking are as follows:

B.    "Not to use any Parking Space for any purpose other than parking of a private motor vehicle having a current Road Fund Licence and MOT certificate".

C.    Do not park on red lines or pavements, nor on roadways where general access is required.

D.    Untaxed vehicles will be given 2 to 4 weeks notice and then removed from site permanently at the expense of the owner of the property where the vehicle belonged.

E.    Only park in a space numbered with your number if you have bought a parking space with your property.

F.    Do not park in other people's spaces.

G.    Do not empty ashtrays or other rubbish from cars into the estate. Brockwell Gate Management Company will reserve the right to bill anyone responsible for the cost of cleaning.

H.    Do not allow your vehicle to drop oil onto the block paving, irrespective of whether you have purchased the space or have use of a space. Brockwell Gate Management Company will reserve the right to bill anyone the responsible for the cost of cleaning.

I.    Visitors may only park a fully taxed vehicle on any part of any road roads, which does not have red lines (we class this as 'visitors only' parking'): e.g. parts of Selwood Street, Bascombe Street and Brockwell Park Row.

J.    Visitor parking is allowed overnight for 24 hours. Longer stays must be notified to the company (e.g. over national holidays, Christmas etc.).

K.    Overnight parking of commercial vehicles is not permitted anywhere on the estate. Any infringement of the parking regulations may result in legal action being taken against offenders and to the full recovery of any costs incurred. You may be clamped, fined or towed away. Please refer to signage.

L.    Vehicles may also be removed by the company. Where vehicles have been abandoned or 'dumped' these will be removed by the company and all costs will be recovered from the owner of the property where the car belonged. Landlords should note that, in the case of rented flats or houses, it is the owner and not the tenants from whom costs will be recovered.

A.    Owners of Flats and houses having allocated parking spaces will have been issued with a 'zapper' to permit vehicular access to the estate. Where flats are let, tenants should enquire of their landlord to obtain a 'zapper' if one has been issued to them.

B.    Entry phones in both flats and houses permit access to visitors' vehicles including delivery vans etc. Please do not allow the gates to be opened unless you are certain of the identity of the caller.

Other terms of the covenants

The covenants for both flats and houses prohibit residents from causing a nuisance to other owners and tenants by making excessive noise. Noise from TVs, hi-fis, radios etc, and from musical instruments must not be such that it can be heard by any neighbour.

Conversational and other noise from flats, houses and gardens can also cause a nuisance to others. Please refrain from causing excessive noise from cars, motorbikes and other vehicles. Please see also paragraph 1.12 concerning noise in the lobbies and entrances to the apartment blocks.

Please report any incidences of nuisance that you have witnessed to the Lambeth Anti Social Behaviour number on 020 7926 4000 and the Tulse Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team. You can find full details at www.brockwellgate.com/saferneighbourhoods. Owners and tenants of flats and houses are bound by their covenants not to cause a nuisance of any kind (including noise) to neighbours on the estate. Notifying the Anti Social Behaviour number allows Lambeth and the Safer Neighbourhoods Team build up a picture of any pattern developing.

Where a flat is left un-occupied, Brockwell Gate Management Company Limited must be informed immediately due to insurance reasons. Please click here to download a copy of the vacant apartment form. Please return the form to us by Royal Mail or by scanning and emailing. This is strictly enforced by the freeholder's insurance company, and you can find full details of the insurance policy at www.brockwellgate.com/buildingsinsurance

No flat may have a satellite dish or an external TV aerial. No house may have a satellite dish or TV aerial, which is visible from the estate roadways. Virgin Media cable TV is provided in the area. Please visit www.brockwellgate.com/virginmedia for details of our local customer service advisor.

A.    No pets to be kept in flats without the written permission of Brockwell Gate Management Company Limited which, if given, shall be by way of licence revocable at will. In houses, you do not need to seek permission, but we reserve the right to revoke your rights to keep pets if covenants are broken, for example, allowing your dog to foul the estate. You cannot keep livestock at any time.

B.    Dogs and other animals owned by house owners must be on a leash at all times on the estate, in accordance with Tulse Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team. This will be strictly enforced. To report nuisance dogs on Brockwell Gate Estate, please contact Tulse Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team. You can find the full contact details at www.brockwellgate.com/saferneighbourhoods

No washing must be hung up in the windows or on balconies of the flats or from any balcony or window or balcony of the houses on the estate.

A.    Only use rubbish bin stores marked for domestic waste for domestic waste.

B.    Please bag all your domestic waste and place in the large metal bins located in the refuse stores. In the case of flats, rubbish must not be left anywhere in the common areas to the apartment blocks, i.e. the hallways and entrances, since this is would cause a health and safety risk. Due to the close proximity of Brockwell Park, in the case of houses, rubbish must not be left outside the front or rear of houses since this would cause a health risk and may be torn apart by foxes, rats and other vermin.

C.    Do not leave large bulk items in the bin stores or on the pavements. These are to be taken to the Bulk Collection Area, which is in the stockade at Selwood Street car park. Please inform Brockwell Gate Management on info@brockwellgate.com that you are planning to leave large bulk items at this location so we can arrange for collection. This applies particularly to items such as washing machines and other white goods.

D.    Recycling can be contained in orange sacks or placed directly in the large, green plastic wheelie bins located in those stores marked for recycling only. If further orange sacks are required, these can be obtained by contacting Lambeth Council. Houses may be supplied by Lambeth with small green bins for recyclable waste.

E.    Do not leave recycling refuse in bin stores, which are not labelled for recycling.

F.    Do not leave recycling or rubbish of any kind on the estate paths or roadways.

G.    Do not leave confidential, personal information, e.g. bank statements, letters, in your rubbish. This is to avoid identity theft. Ensure you shred personal data first.

H.    The owner and/or responsible party must take oil, batteries and other items to Vale Street or other recycling centres run by the London Borough of Lambeth. These are not the responsibility of Brockwell Gate Management Company Limited.

A.    Smoking is not permitted by law within the communal areas of the flat blocks or at the doorway. There are now 'no smoking in communal areas' signs at all the entrances, in accordance with the no smoking laws.

B.    Please do not dispose of cigarette butts or packets directly outside or anywhere else on the estate. Path and road sweeping is carried out by Brockwell Gate Management Company Limited and is, therefore, paid for directly by your service charge. Cleaning block paving of cigarette butts is a time-consuming task and increases cleaning costs.

A.    Bicycles are not permitted to be left within the communal areas of the flats to comply with Health and Safety Laws and strictly prohibited by the Fire Brigade. If you discover a bike in a communal hallway, please contact info@brockwellgate.com so that we can arrange for its removal.

B.    Do not chain bicycles to stairs or other parts of the internal fabric of the flat blocks, nor to the railings, which form part of the estate property. They will be removed and the owner will be charged an administrative fee for its return.

C.    Bicycles can be stored in the Bike Stores. These are not marked, in some cases, so as not to draw attention to them for security reasons. You can discover more about the bike sheds in the Google Group.

Please keep the lobby and stairwell areas of flats clean and quiet for the enjoyment of all your neighbours. In particular, shoes, prams, bicycles, children's toys etc must not be left in these areas and will be removed by the company. Such items constitute a health and safety risk and are strictly prohibited by the Fire Brigade. Small children can also injure themselves on such items so the lobbies must be a safe environment for all members of the community.

Please report to the Brockwell Gate Management Company Limited as soon as possible any damage on the estate or any items which require repair. Please call 020 7100 8685 or email info@brockwellgate.com. In the case of flats, any leaks of water etc must be reported to the company as soon as possible to allow these to be rectified and to comply with insurance requirements. In a majority of cases, leaks within flats are caused by pipes in the flat above (for example the outflow from a dishwasher or washing machine). Please ensure that you establish communication with your upstairs neighbour and request that their appliances are checked over. We may also be able to take steps to repair the damage or, for example, to prevent further escapes of water from other flats into your own property.

Any gas leaks must be reported immediately to National Grid Gas and to your gas supplier.

Please provide us with your post box key serial number by emailing info@brockwellgate.com. This will assist us obtain a replacement key should you lose yours. Please ensure your box is emptied regularly. If you lose your key, contact info@brockwellgate.com and providing we know your serial number, we will be able to order a replacement. Please note that postboxes are the responsibility of the owner.

A.    In the case of houses, gas and electricity meters are placed in cupboards or boxes outside the property on the boundary walls. Water meters are situated beneath the footway in front of the property.

B.    In the case of flats, meters are located in cupboards on the ground floor of the common areas. Some flats have their gas meter located in a cupboard in the kitchen. Owners of flats and houses, including landlords, will have been issued with keys to the cupboards housing the meters, and tenants should obtain the keys from their landlord if they wish to gain access to a meter cupboard.

C.    The location of stop-taps varies from property to property. A good place to look is in the boiler cupboard. You should enquire about the location of these when purchasing or taking over your tenancy from the landlord or vendor as appropriate.

An extensive programme has been undertaken by Brockwell Gate Management Company Limited's team of gardeners. If you note any plant, which requires watering, or some other care, please report it to us.

Please report to the Company any incidences related to security or access to the estate, or other related concerns. When using the entry phone system, only open doors or gates when you are certain of the identity of the caller. Do not leave any doors propped open, and do not tamper with any locking mechanism, nor 'leave on the latch'.

In respect of flats, please contact the company immediately you incur any loss or damage so that we can inform you of the procedure to report your loss. You may view the buildings insurance policy at www.brockwellgate.com/buildingsinsurance

Please visit the Google Group to ask fellow residents, or check the 'Trades People' area of  www.brockwellgate.com/information. You are reminded that it is important to ensure that smoke alarms fitted to houses and flats are kept in full working order.

Brockwell Gate Management Company Limited communicates important information to owners by e-mail (e.g. company information, copies of AGM notices, budgets). If you own your property, please email info@brockwellgate.com in order to be placed on the Shareholder email list.

Anyone who lives here can sign up and take part in online communications between other residents plus gain access to residents-only information. Please sign up by visiting www.brockwellgate.com and then clicking on Google Group.