Block of flats (managed)

A managed block of flats is a multi-unit residential building under the control of a freeholder or management company, typically with a managing agent handling day-to-day operations. Across Greater London, managed blocks range from interwar mansion blocks in Westminster to modern developments in King's Cross and Stratford. Drainage characteristics include shared internal soil stacks serving stacked bathrooms and kitchens, communal rainwater drainage from roof, basement drainage with pump stations in some blocks, and lateral connections to the public sewer. Common issues include shared stack blockages affecting multiple flats simultaneously, leaks at branch connections between floors, and disputes over responsibility between leaseholders, freeholder and managing agent. The lease typically defines responsibility boundaries. Managing agents should arrange annual stack maintenance, hold detailed as-built drawings, and maintain emergency contractor arrangements for rapid response.