Welcome to Residents First!

Residents First is an independent, not-for-profit, Community Interest Company (CIC), focused on supporting Freehold and Leasehold residents that pay a Service Charge for communal facilities.

Typically, that means residents live on an estate or in a block of flats and pay a fee to a Manager, Management Company, Managing Agent or Property Factor to maintain those communal facilities. Often, residents find themselves:

• Paying more than they need to. Some residents we know are paying up to 50% commission on insurance.
• Have no control over the service they receive. We have met homeowners that are being prevented from becoming Resident Directors of their Management Company.
• Not understanding why they are paying a Service Charge in the first place. We know residents that have been ignored by their Property Manager when they ask for help.

We don’t believe that’s right, and we aim to change things. That’s why, as a CIC, our community-focused objectives are simple: to help residents to:

1. Better understand the legal agreements they have with their Manager, Management Company, Managing Agent or Property Factor.
2. Reduce their Service Charge bills.
3. Improve the quality of the services they receive.
4. Secure a level of influence over the maintenance of their communal facilities.

Residents First has a clear strategy and ethos underpinned by a commitment to improve the lives of residents by ensuring the services they receive are underpinned by TRANSPARENCY, FAIRNESS and CONTROL:

• TRANSPARENCY: residents should understand what they are paying for, whom they are paying, why they are paying and how much it costs.
• FAIRNESS: residents should pay a fair amount for the services they receive.
• CONTROL: residents should have some level of control over the services provided and the cost of those services.

Our aim is to support residents across the UK. Unsurprisingly, our primary experience is based in England, but we are supporting residents in Scotland and Wales as well. We will continue to broaden our experience as we work with residents wherever they are based in the UK.