18 Dunn Street, Paisley

Subject: Factor: The Tenement Company, 18 Dunn St

Dear fellow owners,

Please see below feedback from a factor — The Tenement Company — after their recent site visit.

Further replies from Kaeleb:

1). In terms of cost, our proposed management fee for the building would be £34.99 per flat per month, which covers the core factoring service. I will outline this in more detail, including exactly what is covered, in a further email once I have gathered the majority of owner details for everyone to review.

2). The contact form is simply a way for us to gather owner details and open direct lines of communication with all proprietors. It is not an agreement or commitment to appoint us as factor.

Once we have sufficient owner details, we will then issue our Written Statement of Services along with a formal agreement to appoint us as factor. At that stage, once a majority of owners confirm, we can proceed with the appointment.

If you're happy to share this with the other owners, that would be great, and I'm happy to answer any further questions that come up.

It would be great if we could all:

(1) Review the information and do your due diligence on this company

(2) Ask Kaeleb directly any questions you may have

(3) Fill in the form so we can proceed to the next step: Click here to fill in the form →

Again, this is not the appointment — simply a next step to gather more solid information.

Factor Updates:
At this moment, I am still liaising with 2 other companies (Ross & Liddell, Newton), and pending their reply.
Paisley Housing Association has turned us down after the site inspection.

Subject: CRGP Surveyors: Quote Request – 18 Dunn Street, Paisley PA1 1NY

Dear all,

Please see below quotation and detail of works by CRGP Surveyors after a call with their director David, Stefan (3/2) and myself.

This is not the quotation of the actual repair work, which will not be known until further investigation work.

During the call, David emphasised twice that it will be much easier if we can have a factor to work with. The amount of admin and co-ordination required from us is quite significant, without a factor.

Please review the information, do your due diligence — we don't have to act on this yet until we have a clearer picture on how we go with appointing a factor.

📎 Click here to view the CRGP Surveyors quotation →

Other updates:
There will be a site visit from Mainmark on 27 or 28 April — they can draw up a treatment plan. I will follow up with them afterwards and check the logistics.

I am approaching the solution from all angles, and hopefully we can gather sufficient information to move forward soon.

The following is a response received from Renfrewshire Council's Building Standards Team:

Good Morning

Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding the reported structural defects at your tenemental property.

I attended the site on Wednesday 1 April to carry out an inspection. I did knock at your door on arrival, however there was no response. As such, I undertook a visual inspection of the external elevations from publicly accessible locations.

Based on this inspection, I would broadly concur with the findings of the structural survey you commissioned. The observable defects, specifically cracking to areas of the external facework, appear commensurate with the age and construction of the building. While the defects are not considered dangerous at this time, remedial works will be required in due course to prevent further deterioration.

Once I have obtained confirmation of the relevant owners' details, I will be writing to them to remind them of their responsibilities in relation to the maintenance of the property and to advise on the need for appropriate remedial action.

Should you have any further questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Phil Alves de Sousa  ·  Assistant Building Standards Surveyor
Renfrewshire Council  ·  Chief Executive's Service

Hi all,

Quick update across three fronts.

Repairs

• Aiming to find one contractor to cover structural repairs and water ingress together
• Mainmark UK: site visit booked for 27th or 28th April
• Richardson & Starling, Wise Property Care, Eradakil: replies pending

Project Manager

• CRGP Surveyors: call scheduled mid-April (possibly 13th) to discuss scope and costs

Factor

• Paisley Housing Association: site inspection being arranged; an owners' meeting will be needed if we proceed
• Ross & Liddell: initial contact made, awaiting reply
• If you have anything you think is essential for a factor to cover, please let me know

More updates to follow.

Dear All,

Thank you sincerely to everyone who responded and shared their input — it's genuinely appreciated.

1) Repairs & Factor

I'm pleased to confirm we have a majority in favour of:

• Appointing a factor for ongoing building maintenance
• Carrying out structural repairs, to be organised by the factor

I'll now proceed to contact more factors and report back on progress.

2) Paisley Housing Association (PHA)

So far, I've had a response from Paisley Housing Association — please see the attached PDF guide from them for your reference: Click here to view the PHA guide →

3) Backup Plan

In parallel, and in case appointing a factor takes time or doesn't come together quickly, I'll also be:

• Seeking quotes from a project manager to organise the repairs
• Seeking quotes for the repair works themselves, should we need to self-organise

4) Action Requested from All Owners

In the meantime, it would be really helpful if you could:

• Share any thoughts on Paisley Housing Association
• Suggest any factors you think might be a good fit for our building
• Recommend a project manager and/or contractors for the structural repair works

I'll provide an update as soon as I have more information or a clear next step.

5) Contact List

Please also find attached the latest version of the contact list for our block — only 2 flats still missing. 🙂

Hi all,

Thank you everyone for your replies. We now have a majority of owners engaged.

Options on the Table

So far, we have two options:

• Option 1 — Appoint a Factor to coordinate repairs and ongoing maintenance (subject to finding a suitable factor)
• Option 2 — Repairs Only, likely via a project manager due to the complexity and technical nature of the works

Current Owner Responses

On Repair Costs

I truly do not know the costs until we can engage someone to conduct testing and assess the situation. I have tried to get an estimate but the unknowns make this difficult at this stage.

On the Council

I have not yet received a response from the Building Standards Team. I will keep trying to reach those owners who have not replied, and will continue exploring whether owners' insurance could assist in this scenario.

Hi all,

I'd like to share a brief update on the current situation with our building.

(1) Owner Responses

• Three owners have replied so far. I will continue following up with the remaining owners to gather their views.

(2) Ongoing Structural Concerns

• One of the ground floor flats has recently had significant repair works carried out by their insurance: covering drains, the bedroom, and the hallway stripped back to bare walls. White monitoring pegs have been placed around the building.
• Over the past 2–3 years we have seen water ingress, gutter failures, lintel issues, and failed overflow pipes. We need to address the root cause, otherwise we can expect further problems and mounting costs.

(3) Possible Paths Forward

3.1 Missing Share Scheme

• Renfrewshire Council has indicated this may be an option, given that Williamsburgh Housing Association is no longer an owner. However, a majority of owners (6) would need to agree before any repairs can proceed.
• I have also contacted the Council's Building Standards Team for further guidance.

3.2 Appointing a Factor

• Williamsburgh Housing Association only provides factoring services to buildings in which they hold ownership.
• Paisley Housing Association quoted £58 per quarter factoring fee, with repair and maintenance costs charged separately. This would require majority agreement — enquiries paused until direction is clearer.

3.3 Project Manager

• One owner suggested appointing a project manager for initial scoping and procurement. As a reference from a separate project elsewhere, this was quoted at £2,550.

3.4 Landlord Obligations

• Landlord standards require all owners to carry out reasonable repairs. Should the situation deteriorate further, this would add serious complexity and potential liability for those of us with tenants.

(4) My To-Do List (Coming 2 Weeks)

• Continue contacting owners who have not yet responded
• Try to obtain quotations for root cause investigations
• Explore whether individual building insurance policies may be able to assist

I appreciate that this may not yet be enough information for everyone to make a decision. We are all navigating this together, and I am doing my best to understand the situation and identify our options.

Please do share your thoughts, and if you haven't yet replied, we really do need to hear from you. This is our building, and it is in all of our interests to get ahead of this before it gets worse.

Dear Owners / Agents of 18 Dunn Street,

I'm writing regarding critical structural repairs needed for our building. I would value your thoughts on this matter. Letting agents, please kindly notify owners and seek their input.

The Issue

During my recent home report, structural movement was identified in our building. A follow-up structural engineer's report confirmed cracking and opening of joints in the northern wall and western gable requiring repair. Cracking was also noted in the main close.

The Cause

Before crack stitching can proceed, we must identify and fix the water source. The engineer suggests potential causes include:

• Chimney stacks
• Rainwater goods
• Failed roughcast
• Rotten timber

Urgency

Proposal

Given the complexity and ongoing maintenance needs, we should consider appointing a factor to coordinate repairs. We could also explore the council's Missing Shares scheme to cover any non-paying owners.

I don't have contact details for Flat 0/2 or Flat 2/3 — if anyone can forward this to them, that would be appreciated.

I'll touch base with everyone again by the end of next week.