At Mainstay, property management and asset management go hand in hand. With that in mind, we believe in a joined up approach to the operational and strategic aspects of residential and mixed portfolio management.

1. TheLink
Property
Manager Update
Customer
Satisfaction
Survey
Mainstay takes great pride in
its Customer Service and we are
keen to ensure that the services
we provide meet your high
expectations.
We have recently started an
assessment of our services for your
development, with the ultimate aim
of becoming recognized under the
‘Investor in Customers’scheme.
More information on this scheme
can be found on their website:
www.investorincustomers.com.
Leaseholders will have received
an email from IIC which invited
completion of a web-based
questionnaire. The questionnaires
form part of our assessment and
will help us to further improve our
services to you.
The responses will be completely
confidential, so we are hoping to
receive totally honest feedback.
In addition, as part of Mainstay’s
effortsforcontinuousimprovement,
we are also undertaking customer
satisfaction surveys every day,
assessing your immediate feedback
on how satisfied you were in
using our services. This is another
opportunity for you to honestly
tell us how you feel and help us to
improve your customer experience
with us.
All comments are welcomed and
valuedsopleasetakepartifselected
and help us make a real difference
to the service you receive. We look
forward to hearing from you.
Should you have any questions
or concerns in relation to the
Investor in Customers scheme,
please contact us on:
iic@mainstaygroup.co.uk.
Alternatively, you can contact
survey@investorincustomers.com.
Many thanks for your help.
Adaptable Property Services | www.mainstaygroup.co.uk
WelcometoyourSpringNewsletter.
I am pleased to report that we
have been busy managing and
maintaining your development.
Outlined below are a number of new
initiativesandsimpleremindersthat
will enhance the service you receive
from us and help preserve and
positively impact the environment
at your development.
The first exciting news is that, since
the beginning of March this year,
we have extended the hours we
do business for our office based
Customer Services Team.
Our Customer Services Team are
now available between the hours
of 8.00 am until 7.00 pm Monday to
Friday on 01905 357 777.
We are constantly monitoring
and reviewing the way we
deliver services to our customers.
Extending our opening hours has
been a popular suggestion – we
hope you agree.
As you will read below, we are
committed to listening to our
customers and improving our
services. We feel that in extending
our opening hours we can give you,
ourcustomers,muchmoreflexibility
and support to fit in with your busy
lifestyles. It will help us to continue
delivering exceptional customer
service and strive to exceed all of
your needs and expectations of a
Managing Agent.
Spring Newsletter 2012

2. Raising standards –
improving service
Adaptable Property Services | www.mainstaygroup.co.uk
Contractors from hell are to be
avoided at all costs; the importance
of this cannot be underestimated
when contractors are working on the
developments we manage.
In order to eradicate these unsafe
contractors from working in the
communal areas of your home,
Mainstay managed a contractor
registration scheme. This consisted
of checking the credentials and
insurances of contractors in order to
keep you safe from harm and ensure
best value for money.
The registration scheme has proved
so effective that we can no longer
keep up with demand. Therefore, we
have now outsourced this by joining
a nationally recognised independent
scheme, SAFEContractor, at no cost to
you offering a similar quality check.
Mainstay is accredited to both
SAFEContractor and CHAS (Contractor
health & Safety Scheme) ourselves,
which means our own systems are
independently checked for a similar
quality check.
Emergency
Out of Hours
Assistance
Outside of normal office hours,
Mainstay arrange and manage an
emergency support service for
any repairs or maintenance that
affects either the communal areas
of the development, or a number
of apartments where there is
an emergency situation such as
a fire or major flood. We also
provide a make-safe service for the
development.
The 24 hour response provision
is provided by Orbis Monitoring
Services Ltd/Adieuvo. They receive
all emergency calls and respond
accordingly. They hold details of
Mainstay accredited contractors
and are able to respond to all
emergency situations.
Please note that the telephone
number provided below for this
service is strictly for emergencies
only. Misuse of this service may
result in a charge being incurred by
the caller.
Call: 0845 189 8024
Spring Newsletter 2012
Mainstay Website
Each property has a number of
pages dedicated to it which we
hope will help our customers keep
up to date with the management of
the site.
The pages cover:
• Site updates on maintenance,
Contact Details for Property
Manager, Customer Services
and even onsite staff.
• Work Schedules dates for
Grounds, Cleaning and even
your Property Managers visits.
We have made even more
improvements to our systems to
allow us to stay in touch and to
communicate effectively with all
our customers. Our website has
been designed with you in mind and
Mainstay would like to encourage all
Leaseholders to register their details
and to use the Website as much as
possible.
Once input you will need to
register for the site and enter an
email address. If this matches the
information we hold, you will be
issued with a password specific
to your account. If not, we will
check the information and send a
password to your email address.
We hope that you continue to find
the website a useful reference point
and we will continue to update you
as any new functionality comes into
place.
• Key maintenance and any
other ongoing issues such as
gates/door entrance or even
leaks, we can provide an update
immediately without having to
send out letters and relying on
the post.
• Finance Information items such
as your Budgets, Accounts and
even the date as to when your
service charge and/or ground
rent payments are due.
• Documents include Budgets,
Accounts, Insurance Certificates
and Newsletters.
This area will continue to expand as
we add more information and work
with our clients and customers to
detail information that they require
and feel would be of benefit.
Through this area you will also be
able to pay for your service charges,
purchase a fob and report any
maintenance issues.
When you next visit our website:
www.mainstaygroup.co.uk
you will be asked to enter your
individual reference number, which
is shown on all your correspondence
from Mainstay and this usually looks
like ABC123DEFG.
TheLink

3. Anti-Social
Behaviour
Local Councils can often help with
fly tipping onsite and Mainstay
would encourage Residents to
contact the Council to remove bulky
items from site.
Overall, anti-social behaviour across
our developments occurs relatively
infrequently, however, when it does
it can have a devastating effect on
our customers.
We would strongly urge any
Leaseholder who is experiencing
problems to seek further advice via
Mainstay or from sources such as:
www.direct.gov.uk
www.arma.org.uk
www.homeoffice.gov.uk.
Adaptable Property Services | www.mainstaygroup.co.uk
Anti-Social behaviour in the form
of noise, threatening behaviour,
vandalism and fly tipping occur
on developments occasionally and
are brought to the attention of
Mainstay as your Managing Agent.
Mainstay is limited by the terms of
the lease and legal restrictions to
deal with such issues.
Most leases contain covenants
that state that Leaseholders must
not cause nuisance or annoyance
to other Leaseholders and have
restrictions which state that loud
music must not be played between
11pm and 7am.
Mainstay can and does frequently
write letters and discuss issues with
Leaseholders who are or whose
tenants are breaching the terms of
the lease with regard to anti-social
behaviour. It may not be common
knowledge, but other statutory
agencies are often well placed to
deal with such issues.
Environmental Health is in a
strong position to deal with noise
complaints and will encourage
affected Leaseholders to keep noise
diaries. Some local authorities have
emergency response teams that
can issue warnings, fines and seize
equipment under the Noise Act
1996.
Threatening behaviour and
vandalism must always be reported
to the Police as these may be
considered Criminal Acts. Many
local Police forces have specific
teams to deal with anti-social
behaviour and are happy to assist
with cases involving this behaviour.
Spring Newsletter 2012
Reporting
Maintenance
Issues
In order to maintain a good
relationship between Mainstay
and all residents, we request that
all residents please assist Mainstay
by reporting maintenance and
other issues on the development,
especially when it is unmanned.
This applies even if you may think
thatithadbeenreportedpreviously,
as this will clarify any ongoing work
which could otherwise lead to
uncertainty for the residents.
We can then give updates on the
situation on our website so that
they can be viewed by leaseholders
and they can in turn update their
tenants.
Residents must
arrange their
own Contents
Insurance
Mainstay deal with insurance claims
when the damage is confirmed by
the loss adjusters as being a result
of a communal fault.
If the claim is as a result of an
issue within your own property
or inter apartment leak, then you
will need to register the claim
yourself (remember, the claimant is
responsible for the excess amount
for each insured event).
Insurers investigate all claims in
great detail and it is therefore
important to gather evidence to
support any claim that you make.
We would advise you to take
photographs of any damage
caused, keep records of crime
references and ensure that
contractors provide you with
adequate paperwork throughout.
Freehold properties are the
responsibility of the individual
owner and should be insured
independently.
If in any doubt, please contact
our Customer Services Team on
telephone number 01905 357 777,
who will be able to provide further
information and assist you.
TheLink

4. General Housekeeping Around
the Development Update
Most leases will allow caged birds,
fish and some even allow reptiles.
Again please contact Mainstay who
will be able to advise what can and
cannot be allowed on site.
(4) Refuse Disposal
We would like to remind everyone
that the removal of rubbish to
the designated bin store areas is
the responsibility of the resident.
Refuse must be placed in the bins
provided and in appropriate bin
bags.
Any large, bulky items cannot be
just left in the bin stores as this
will not be collected. Please make
arrangements directly with the
local council for bulky items to be
removed.
(5) Car Parking
Wewouldliketoremindallresidents
of the importance of parking in
allocated car parking spaces only.
All visitors should park in the visitor
spaces if applicable.
Any car parking conditions
are stipulated within the lease
covenants that were agreed to
when ownership was taken of the
property. The responsibility lies
with the leaseholder to ensure that
any sub-tenants are aware of the
lease covenants. We thank you in
advance for your co-operation in
this matter.
Adaptable Property Services | www.mainstaygroup.co.uk
Spring Newsletter 2012
(1) Storage of Items in the Common
Areas
Please note that under the terms of
your Lease this is strictly prohibited.
May we therefore request that all
items including bicycles are not left
in the communal hallways, as this
causes inconvenience to residents
and also damage to decorations and
carpeting.
Please also note that “For Sale” and
“To Let” boards are again strictly
prohibited, and we would request
that any sale boards are removed
from the exterior or windows of
individual properties.
(2) Alterations/Additions
If you are considering undertaking
any structural alterations or
additions to your property, you may
need the permission beforehand
from the Freeholder and the
Managing Agent.
Please consult your lease in the first
instance before undertaking any
works to your property. The lease
will set out what can and cannot be
done to your property and whose
permission is required. If you have
any doubts please contact our
Customer Services Team for advice.
(3) Pets
Before bringing a pet into your
property please consult the terms of
your lease. Many apartment leases
forbid dogs (unless guide dogs) and
cats to be allowed in apartments
because of the potential nuisance
they can cause to other residents
and damage to property and
grounds.
Buildings
Insurance Policy
Buildings are insured on a
comprehensive insurance policy
to the full reinstatement value
of all the properties at your
development. The policy covers
fire, flood and all the usual perils.
A copy of your sites buildings
insurance certificate along with
the relevant policy excesses is
saved on the website and can be
obtained when you log in to “My
Development” under the section
titled“Documents”.
Instructions on how to register a
claim directly with the insurers (it
is not Mainstay’s Customer Services
Team) and how they will deal with
insurance claims (including any
enquiries you may have prior to
making a claim) are outlined.
The right to insure the building on
leasehold properties is defined by
the lease and can rest either with
the Freeholder or with a Residents
Management Company.
TheLink

5. Adaptable Property Services | www.mainstaygroup.co.uk
Investors in
People (IIP)
C O N T A C T I N F O R M A T I O N
General Enquiries and Repairs
Please contact our Customer Services Team:-
Out of Hours communal area emergency:-
(for emergency use only)
Website - Please note you can pay your service
charges, report a fault and order security fobs.
Compliment & Complaints:
If you would like to pass on either a compliment or
complaint to us, please do not hesitate to write to
us.
Spring Newsletter 2012
Mainstay have recently been
undergoing an external
independent assessment as part of
our bid to obtain the Investors In
People Accreditation.
A considerable number of
employees were interviewed as part
of this process, the employees were
chosen randomly by the external
assessment team and our processes
were rigorously tested.
We are pleased to say we have been
recognised in this independent
and objective assessment – further
confirming our commitment to
quality of execution and certainty
of delivery through our people.
Mainstay FM continues to grow.
Just four years ago the Mainstay
Group set upon a strategy to
broaden its service, offering to its
existing and future client base by
diversifying and putting in place
a facilities management arm to
directly drive up standards.
We now have in excess of 250 site
based employees across England
and Wales and we provide the
whole spectrum of onsite staffing
including management, concierge,
security, caretakers and cleaners.
Mainstay
Facilities
Management The business benefits from
exceptionally strong regional
management structure which
operates in a consistent manner.
Our clients have confidence that
we understand their business and
provide a dedicated customer
driven service.
TheLink
Telephone: 01905 357 777
Available between the hours of 8.00 am and 7.00 pm
Monday to Friday.
E-Mail: mail@mainstaygroup.co.uk
Fax: 01905 361 046
Call: 0845 189 8024
www.mainstaygroup.co.uk
Whittington Hall
Whittington Road
Worcester
WR5 2ZX