Government highlight overcharging for Building Safety Act costs by managing agents

At the end of 2023 I reported on the estimated £400,000 which Rendall and Rittner plans to charge Chelsea Bridge Wharf residents in relation to costs from the Building Safety Act 2022. I also noted that, incredibly CBWRA (Louis Sebastian Kendall/Larisa Villar Hauser) did not plan to challenge these costs and indeed seemed to think they were reasonable. As ever CBWRA have not consulted residents in any way shape or form about this decision. On April 17th 2024, the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities released a letter highlighting many reports they have received of over charging or attempted overcharging by managing agents in relation to the Building Safety Act. This will not come as a surprise to many but it is surprising that CBWRA are letting what I consider to be inflated costs go unchallenged. CBWRA claim that they have compared BSA costs at Chelsea Bridge Wharf to other developments but have not produced any data to support this. I doubt that any meaningful analysis has been done by CBWRA but if it has then it should be shared with residents.

The CBWRA ‘co-chairs’ who were ”elected” in April 2024 in a bizarre process whereby only 9% of leaseholders (103 people out of 1150 leaseholders) voted (and 91% did not) following equally bizarre election in 2023 continue to make decisions without consulting residents and clearly have no mandate to represent leaseholders at Chelsea Bridge Wharf. This is not acceptable especially when these decisions could be very costly for Chelsea Bridge Wharf leaseholders.

Category : Building Safety Act, CBWRA, Chair Elections, Elections, Electoral misconduct, Uncategorized