Site Maintenance & Tradesmen

We all try to keep The Shipgate clean and tidy, but we do also employ a cleaner. Cleaning for communal areas is paid for by the Shipgate Management Company (SMC).

They are paid out of the service charge that all property owners pay each year. Tenants do not need to pay cleaners separately, their landlords will pay the service charge as the owner.

Approximately every six weeks the windows are cleaned, again paid for by SMC, and again tenants do not need to arrange to pay window cleaners. The Shipgate employs them.

Some windows are cleaned less frequently, such as the hard to reach places, but all windows are taken care of. The top attic windows residents have to do themselves.

We have a Shipgate Garden Group, currently with around 7 members. No one person runs the group, it is a collective effort, with everyone giving whatever time they might have, whenever they want to give it. They all chip in and allocate jobs, meeting whenever they need to look forward to a new season.

This is done by residents, usually with a steam cleaner. When we think it needs a clean, a team volunteer and get it done. We normally discuss this at our AGM.

We all eventually want new kitchens, carpets or boilers fitting.

You should apply for a Shipgate Street parking permit (see parking page for details) to allow your workers to park legally and avoid parking fines.

As with all residents, nothing should be left in communal areas or blocking stairs and access. We are all understanding of workers struggling up and down several flights of stairs carrying things, but things should be cleared away by the end of the working day.

Our managing agent do monthly checks of emergency lighting and fire alarms. They do annual checks on fire extinguishers. Every 5 years they do a full fire assessment for us.