Castle Village Q&A

A. The lease for all properties is for a term of 125 years at a ground rent of £250 per annum. Double occupancy is charged at £200 per annum.

The majority of properties are sold on the basis of a lease which can either be surrendered to the Landlord at a figure based on 95% of the open market value at the time up to a maximum of 95% the sum paid by the tenant at the time of acquisition or assigned to any qualifying person/persons (aged 55 and over) The remaining leases can only be assigned to a qualifying person/persons with no option for the Landlord to accept a surrender.

A: Owners of a Retirement Villages lease are required to pay an assignment fee when their property is sold.

When a Retirement Village is developed there are very substantial capital costs involved in creating the central ‘country club’ facilities, including the restaurant, bar, kitchens, fitness centre, leisure facilities etc. The assignment fees provide the landlord company with a long term income stream which provides a return on the capital cost of that investment. At the same time, this income stream gives the landlord a common interest with the leaseholders, in ensuring that capital values of properties in the village are maintained and improved.

A common criticism of some retirement housing schemes is that ‘second hand’ properties are difficult to sell because the developer, having made his development profit, has no further interest in the investment performance of the scheme. Retirement Villages Limited develops its villages and owns them in perpetuity. We continue to invest in the up grading and refurbishment of the central facilities and individual units so as to ensure that capital values are maximised.

The level of assignment fee varies. The maximum it will be is 12.5% of the sale value and on some of our older leases it can vary considerably below this percentage level. In all cases, this fee includes the landlord’s solicitors’ costs.

Before proceeding we would advise you to take legal advice to ensure you are fully aware of exactly what the fee would be in respect of the specific property you are considering.

A. The Deed sets out the services and amenities offered by the Management Company on behalf of the Landlord, and provides for the payment by the tenant, of charges in this respect.

A. The service charges for the period April 2011 to March 2012 has been split into four bands, dependant upon property size, as below: 

Band A: £4,056 PA

Band B: £4,200 PA

Band C: £4,352 PA

Band D: £5,312 PA

These charges will be reviewed in January 2012 and any changes to the service charge will take effect from 1st April 2012. Thereafter any changes will also be effective from 1st April in following years.

A. Salaries and National Insurance:

* Administration - A team of three including the Village Manager who are responsible for the supervision and control of the complete on-site management of the village

* Maintenance – Employed or contracted staff who are responsible primarily for the upkeep of the communal grounds, buildings and equipment in the village. They will also carry out minor repairs to individual properties that have arisen from structural damage, and there is an appropriate arrangement for property emergencies outside normal working hours. Where residents require further assistance i.e. electricians, plumbers etc they will be required to pay for this separately.

* Domestic – Each property is entitled to have one hour of domestic assistance and to have up to eight pieces of linen laundered in our central facilities each week.

* Nurses – The village has a team of nurses operating an emergency 24/7 facility coverage.

Maintenance Reserve Fund (Sinking fund)

There is a programme for planned maintenance, together with the replacement of large items of equipment. The reserve fund is designed to allow for these expenditures as and when they occur, thereby reducing the need for large variations to service charges. The fund is also there should unforeseen maintenance items arise.

Communal Rates

The business rates for the office accommodation, restaurant, kiosk and all the other central facilities.

Insurance

A block policy is in place to cover the buildings insurance on each property and on all communal buildings. Furnishings in communal areas and equipment used in maintaining the village are also covered, together with employer’s and public liability.

Communal Energy

This is the cost of heating, lighting and water to all communal parts of the village.

Residents pay these charges separately in respect of their own properties.

Office Supplies / Telephone

The costs of running the office accommodation and associated services.

Repairs and Maintenance

* The external maintenance, decoration and repair of all properties on the estate including the structure, roofs and foundations.

* Internal maintenance: repair and decoration of the clubhouse and other common parts of the estate.

* The provision of a refuse collection service.

* The maintenance or replacement where necessary of such plant, machinery, and equipment as required.

Maintenance Contracts

The payment of charges in respect of maintenance and servicing contracts for boilers, lifts, fire alarms, alarm call system and other communal equipment. 

Accountancy/Legal

Auditors costs for the provision of independently certified statements of accounts and any licence fees payable.

Management Fee

The fee payable to the Landlord’s appointed manager, RV Services Ltd, for the provision of services to the on site management company and for overall accountability of providing and monitoring the entire facility. 

Cleaning Materials, Window Cleaning, Garden Supplies, Uniforms, Interest and Recruitment Advertisements

A. The service charge is operated on a strictly ‘not for profit’ basis, in accordance with the Housing Acts and therefore, future increases will only reflect the actual costs of providing the services. It is not possible to give predictions for this but, suffice to say, the company has considerable experience, gained over 20 years of managing its villages, and is very conscious of the need to keep costs under control whilst continuing to give a quality service.

A: Our assisted purchase scheme is where we act as an agent on your behalf, managing the sales process, and helping you to secure a buyer for your property.

A. External redecoration is the responsibility of the Management Company within a planned maintenance cycle. This is paid for from the service charges. Internal redecoration is the responsibility of the tenant and the lease requires that this is carried out at least every five years.

A. Minor internal alterations and improvements can be made with the Landlord's consent. However, when the lease is assigned, the right is reserved to restore the property to its original condition at the expense of the outgoing tenant.

A. Within the terms of the lease guests may stay with you for 28 days maximum at any one time. Please inform the office if any guests are staying.

There are also Guest Rooms in the Mansion House which can be booked for one or more nights at a reasonable fee per night.

A. All car parking places in the village are on a first come first serve basis. There are 102 garages in the village which can be leased or rented from the landlord.

* The lease agreement is for a term of 21 years on payment of a premium of £10,500. In addition an annual ground rent of £20 is payable. The lease can only be surrendered to the landlord and when this occurs the leases will receive 50% of the premium back less a legal fee of £40 to cover the costs of advising the Land Registry of the termination of the lease.

* The rental agreement is on a monthly basis of £60 with a damage deposit of £60.

A. Yes they are. However for obvious reasons it is essential that they are well trained and controlled.

A. Retirement Villages does not discriminate on the grounds of age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation or disability and is committed to a policy of equal opportunities and diversity.

Our retirement villages are designed to provide an enjoyable and supported environment for older people living independently. So far as we are able we will endeavour to accommodate residents in line with our diversity policy, but we will wish to be satisfied that prospective residents are able to live independently within a community which does not provide full nursing care.

Prospective purchasers will be asked to confirm that they are generally in good health. Purchasers who have specific health problems may be required to provide further information via their G.P. In ascertaining a person’s suitability in such a case, the landlord will rely upon sound medical advice and this assessment will be made using the criteria laid down by the Association of British Insurers to assess the need for long-term care.

A. Emergency assistance is available through the Village’s emergency call system. The calls are dealt with by the on-site nurse team as above.

A. The concept of the village is ‘independence in retirement’. As there is only one nurse on duty for the whole village (200+ people) it is impossible to provide anything other than very basic care. However, residents are able to arrange care packages with either Social Services or private companies (including R V Care, a subsidiary company of Retirement Villages), as they would if they lived anywhere.

Where the situation deteriorates and independence diminishes to the point where permanent care is needed, then inevitably the residents themselves or their relatives will recognise that alternative living arrangements need to be made.

In the very rare circumstances of this not being recognised, and bearing in mind the best interests of other residents/occupiers, the staff and the residents themselves, then there is a covenant in the lease where the Landlord may give notice. It should be stressed that this is the very last resort and it is hoped that matters such as this can always be dealt with in a sensible and sympathetic manner by all parties.

Where a couple are occupying a property and one of the parties becomes unable to look after themselves, then there is no need for alternative arrangements to be made as long as the other party remains able to cope along with the assistance of outside agencies.

A. At Castle Village we manage a restaurant (opened at set times throughout the week as well as being available for any special events), a conservatory, a snooker room, a ball room, a residents’ laundry, a doctor’s surgery (open Wednesday mornings), a library with internet enabled computer station, a kiosk (open Monday to Friday 9.15-10.15) and two guest suites.

There is also a very proactive residents association which promotes the interests of the residents and arranges social and sport activities such as: art classes, aerobics, line dancing, theatre trips, painting, music and bridge. There are also coffee mornings, talks with guest speakers and events such as fashion shows.

A. The day to day, on site running of the village will be the responsibility of Castle Village Management Limited to whom tenants pay their service charges. However, the Village Manager regularly consults with the Residents Association and its appropriate sub committees.

Under the terms of the Deed, the Management Company covenants to provide each tenant, at least two months before the end of each financial year, a written estimated budget of the service charges for the coming year. However, well in advance of this the Village Manager as well as a representative from the national operations office will meet with a Finance Monitoring Group appointed by the Residents' Association, to substantiate the new budget as far as possible, and make available all relevant figures and information.

The Management Company will also provide for each tenant, as soon as possible after the end of the financial year, a copy of the statement of accounts of the village, duly certified by a Chartered Accountant.