Guide

Contents

1.0 Foreword

1.5 New Website Project for Century Wharf Members

2.0 Contact Information

3.0 Living in Leasehold Apartment on Century Wharf

• Noise
• Moving
• Leaking Overflow Pipes
• Basic Advice
• No Smoking Policy
• Leisure Facilities
• Rubbish/bulky items/collection

3.5 Fire Action Notice

4.0 Your Century Wharf Development

5.0 Responsibilities of Century Wharf Residents

6.0 Site Map

This Residents Guide is written for you as a guide to living on Century Wharf. It is provided by the Directors of the Right to Manage Companies of Century Wharf, who have legal responsibility for the development. The information contained in this booklet are abstracts from the Lease, which is a legal agreement signed by the Leaseholder, on purchase of your property, agreeing to comply with the terms of the Lease. By modernising the way we manage the site and working in co-operation with our managing agent, Warwick, we continue to provide a very efficient and cost affective service to you, our members. Century Wharf, Cardiff, is a development of 942 apartments and houses. The Residents formed a Membership in 2011 to challenge the existing management company. It was necessary to secure the agreement of 50% of Leaseholders in order to make the legal challenge, and there were significant number of residents who volunteered their time to contact Leaseholders, under the direction of a few knowledgeable and tenacious Residents who represented the Development. The result of an incredible amount of hard work and dedication was that Century Wharf was the biggest site in the country to win a Right to Manage (RTM) legal challenge.

(There are 3 Right to Manage Companies as there are 3 separate Freehold companies) .

The Right To Manage Federation wrote at the time:

“The Right to Manage Federation has achieved its biggest ever RTM at a Peverel-managed development of 967 luxury apartments known as Century Wharf, Cardiff.  

The Century Wharf development comprises 19 buildings divided into 35 self-contained units confusingly known as houses.

Following numerous site visits the RTMF decided that three RTM Companies could manage the estate and in October 2012 three Century Wharf RTM Companies were incorporated”.

The Board of Directors works very closely with Warwick Estates, the management company appointed to carry out the day-to-day operation of Century Wharf. Service charges are monitored and closely scrutinised, ensuring the development is safe, well maintained and its appearance is of a high standard.

 Board Members, as of January 2017, are as listed on the Century Wharf website, which is being launched in Spring 2017. First point of contact will be the Development Manager, located in the office at the North Gate.

1.5    Website for Century Wharf Members

The Century Wharf website is intended to improve communication between residents, the management company and the RTM Directors.

If you are not currently a member of the RTM group, we would encourage you to join, as your views and input as a Leaseholder are valuable. Members of the Right to Manage Company have access to RTM Directors to influence the direction of management of Century Wharf.  Please direct your request to contact@centurywharf.co.uk

2.0 Contact Information

CW Estates are the Managing Agents employed by the Right To Manage (RTM) companies of Century Wharf.

If you have an enquiry or a complaint, your first point of contact should be:

1. The Concierge Manager or Concierge office, located at the main gate on site
2. The Property Manager or HR Manager
3. admin@centurywharf.co.uk for general enquiries.
4. contact@centurywharf.co.uk (for the attention of the R.T.M Directors)
5. Concierge Office, Century Wharf, Chandlery Way, Cardiff, CF10 5NG
6. Please find specific contact details located on your communal Notice Board

3.0    Living in a Leasehold Apartment at Century Wharf

Living in a Leasehold property carries some responsibilities in terms of respect for neighbours, sharing communal facilities and in close proximity. We present some advice on how to be a responsible Leaseholder.

Noise

Your Lease – and if you are a tenant, your tenancy agreement – contains restrictions on noise. Loud music or any type of excessive noise in an apartment or the common areas is a breach of the Lease. The Lease states that you are not to play or use any musical instrument, television, radio loudspeaker, mechanical or other noise-making instrument of any kind in the apartment in such a way as causes annoyance to other residents, or to be audible outside the apartment between the hours of 11 pm and 9 am.  If this is breached it is treated as nuisance under the terms of the lease. CW Estates acting on behalf of the Century Wharf RTM Company will take proceedings against any resident (Leaseholder or tenant), for alleged breach of the restrictions.

If a noise problem is being generated by your neighbour, a courteous approach to them to explain the problem may provide a satisfactory solution. If this does not help, please contact CW Estates (admin@centurywharf.co.uk) and we will write to the resident/leaseholder/managing agent highlighting the breach. If this has no effect then you as an occupier have a right to take legal action directly against the owner causing the nuisance or report the matter to the Local authority.

Moving in or out of your Apartment

There are a few issues to be mindful of when moving into your apartment.

• Please remember to take care when moving furniture in the lift and the common areas. If any damage is occasioned by removal companies or owners they will be responsible for the cost of any repair to rectify such damage.
• There are weight limits for carriage in the lift. There are also size issues when bringing in furniture or other large items into the building. It is your responsibility to make sure that any items you are bringing in can either.

a) be safely and comfortably (weight) transported in the lift without causing damage (use blankets if necessary to protect the fabric of the lift)

or

b) can be carried up the stairs by the supplier. Some suppliers use independent delivery contractors with single drivers and will not be willing or able to bring heavy and bulky items up the stairwells

• Make sure that delivery personnel do not cause damage to the stairwell. All damage has to be repaired and the bills increase service charges to your House. Every effort will be made to recover costs from those who deliberately ignore these common sense guidelines and cause a visual, practical and financial burden on others. Lifts are very expensive to repair, and if a lift is broken it can cause major problems for residents who may not be well enough to use the stairs.
• Holding or securing of the lift doors for more than a few minutes (unloading shopping), is strictly forbidden.

Leaking Overflow Pipes

An overflow pipe leaking on the outside of the building is due to a defect with the internal water system in your property. This is therefore the responsibility of the Leaseholder or tenant to resolve. If the leaking overflow appears to originate from your property, you will need to contact a plumber immediately, and if you are a tenant, your managing agent.

If the leaking overflow pipe is coming from another property you will need to notify your Managing Agent with full details and they will endeavour to contact the owner.

Note: It is necessary under the terms of the Lease that internal water heating systems are serviced on an annual basis. Neglect can cause major internal flooding problems for the other residents, and can result in degradation of the fabric of the building.

Basic Advice

• Familiarise yourself with the escape route from your flat before an emergency arises
• Keep all Emergency access routes clear. Your life or those of your family or neighbours could be endangered if you do not Large plants or furniture should not be stored in hallways or access ways for this reason
• Do not block access points in your flat or the communal areas of your block
• Avoid Calor gas (bottled/liquid), paraffin or electric bar fires. Instead, use plug in radiators with industry standard OEM plugs
• Do not overload electrical sockets, cover convector heaters or leave lit candles and heaters close to the curtains and furniture
• Please note Fire Action procedure

No Smoking Policy

Smoking in the internal communal areas is not permitted by law. If you do smoke in the external communal grounds please ensure you discard your cigarette butts in a bin after extinguishing it and do not throw them on the ground or over your balconies.

In addition, please be considerate to neighbours when smoking outside the main entrance door or on your balconies to ensure smoke does not infiltrate into properties when windows and doors are open.

Leisure Facilities

When using the leisure facilities please be considerate to all other users and leave equipment clean/tidy after use.

No children under the age of 16 are allowed in unless accompanied by an adult.

No inflatables are allowed in the swimming pool.

Lockers are for single visit use. It is not permitted to leave your kit in the locker and use it as if was your personal locker. This is a ’’denial of service’’ to other users and causes major problems. In harmony with the signs already in the Leisure Centre changing rooms, such lockers will be opened by Concierge staff and contents will be removed, stored for 7 days and disposed of if not claimed.

Absolutely NO ALCOHOL or GLASS is allowed in the Leisure Centre. There is a danger of severe injury or even death under such circumstances. Vomit or blood entering the swimming pool results in it having to be drained, deep cleaned and refilled which can take a week. Every attempt will be made to identify who has generated these costs – by CCTV and fob login–and costs will be recovered from leaseholders, tenants or letting agents for service let visitors.

Please cooperate with the cleaning team when the Centre is closed for daily cleaning.  Our cleaners work hard and as a result the Leisure Centre is kept at a very high standard.

Please respect the fabric of the building and the facilities, being careful not to cause damage. We have a Centre to be proud of and it causes intense irritation and inconvenience for equipment to be unavailable for use because some have caused damage through carelessness.

Rubbish and Bulky Items

If residents have any bulky rubbish or household items they wish to dispose of, they 
should contact the local authority. It is not the responsibility of CW Estates, the Century Wharf maintenance team or the RTM to dispose of Residents’ property that is not either household waste or recycling. Such items left for disposal by residents incur a charge from the City Council and increase the service charge for all.

 Washing machines, dishwashers, fridges and freezers must be emptied and dried out before being removed from the flats to ensure water does not leak from these items during removal.

Household waste that cannot be composted or recycled should be disposed of via the Bin Shute on your landing. Recycling is contained in green bags and put in the green bins in the undercroft. Food waste is put in the appropriate bag and deposited in the brown bin in the undercroft. There are detailed instructions on disposal of all types of rubbish at every bin point in the undercroft.

Do not leave any rubbish bags on the floor of the external bin storage areas as it encourages unwanted pests and vermin.

The bins should not be overloaded and the lids should be kept shut at all times. 

Please report any paint or chemicals spillage in communal areas immediately to the concierge

Please keep ordinary household waste (non-recyclable/shute) to a minimum.  Cardiff City Council is encouraging recycling, and excessive waste means that that we have to instruct outside contractors to collect additional household waste, which increases the Service Charge cost.

Please wrap any broken glass up securely before placing in rubbish and label the bag for cleaners to beware of broken glass.  

 Do not leave rubbish in communal areas, for example:

• Wood
• Cardboard boxes
• Broken furniture
• Bags of old clothes
• Hard plastic items such as toys

These items need to be taken by you to the Waste Disposal facility provided by the Council, as below. Locations can be found on the Cardiff City Council website.

Bulky item collection

If items are not reusable and you have your own transport, please take them to the nearest Recycling Centre​, which is less than 3 miles away, off Bessemer Road.  The information is on Cardiff City Council’s website www.cardiff.gov.uk

They offer a collection service for large or awkward household items and appliances such as:

• Beds
• Mattresses
• White goods

(Subject to change)

These are the costs levied by the City Council:

“Once your booking has been made, should you wish to later amend the items please note that you can only swap like for like items i.e. recyclable for recyclable, chargeable for chargeable. You will need to contact us to make the amendment either via telephone on 029 2087 2087 or you can visit one of our hubs.”

 Please advise the Rubbish Collection Department of the Council how many items are to be collected. All the information is on their website as listed above.

Cardiff City Council will not collect:

• Builders Rubbish: including toilets, windows, asbestos, baths, bricks/rubble, car batteries, cement, fencing, doors (internal/external), kitchen units or worktops, gates, guttering, pipes, plaster, sheds, sinks.

You may ask the Concierge/Maintenance team to assist you with taking the items to the place for collection.

3.5    Fire Action at Century Wharf, Cardiff

IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT IN YOUR HOME:

1. Leave the room where the fire is immediately, and then close the door. Interior doors are designed to contain smoke.
2. Tell everyone in your home and ensure they leave the building with you. Close the front door of your flat behind you.
3. Do not stay behind to put the fire out.
4. Call the Fire Service.
5. Wait outside, away from the building.
6. Inform the Concierge that the Fire Service will be attending the building.

IF YOU SEE OR HEAR OF A FIRE IN ANOTHER PART OF THE BUILDING:

The building is designed to contain a fire in the flat where it starts. This means it will usually be safe for you to stay in your own flat if the fire is elsewhere.

You must leave immediately if smoke or heat affects your home, or if you are told to do so by the Fire Service.

If you are in any doubt, get out.

When the operator answers, give your telephone number and ask for FIRE.

When the Fire Service replies, give the address where the fire is.

Do not end the call until the Fire Service has repeated the address correctly.

In the event of a fire the Emergency Services will decide whether the building needs to be evacuated. Follow the directions of the Fire Officers, using the stairs and the front door to the building, unless instructed otherwise.

Please check on your Notice board and the Century Wharf website for any updates to this notice.

4.0    Your Century Wharf Development

Our Responsibility

As stated, RTM responsibility is limited to the common parts of the development and associated areas. We are not responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the internal parts of your Apartment.

 Common parts of the building and associated areas include:

Entrance Hallways, Staircases, Landings, Electricity and Water Meter Cupboards, Meter cupboards and Dry Risers, Storage areas, Roof access and the Roof Area and Undercrofts.  Landscaping, pavements and roads. 

 The Assets we manage in the building include:

Communal Lighting, Smoke Extraction Units, Lifts, CCTV, Fire Panels, Emergency Lighting, Door Access systems, (Video CCTV and Audio), Fob Readers, Code Access Controls, Guttering and Soakaways, Man safe Systems, Communal Water and Electric Meters and Lightening protection. Cyclical and Reactive Maintenance.

We organise cyclical maintenance such as the Cleaning of the Common Parts, Gardening services for any Hard or Soft Landscaping. Window cleaning of external windows, and glass in the common parts. We set up Utility Accounts to provide communal Water and Electricity.  We maintain a suitable Insurance cover against the usual perils. We deal with a rolling programme of reactive maintenance and organise maintenance contracts with specialist contractors to maintain the assets in the Building.

 Common Parts

Please help us to keep them tidy and clean by NOT carrying bikes through the hallways and keeping the common parts clear of any obstructions (boxes, shoes, toys, pushchairs).  Please properly secure your bin bags to prevent any spillage and damage to the carpet.  Any cleaning charges incurred will be recharged to those responsible.

 Please remember that cleaning of windows of your apartment is your responsibility and should be carried out on a regular basis.

 Sub-Letting of your Apartment

The letting of properties on the development is allowed. However, written consent is required from the CW Estates to ensure all regulations are passed to tenants residing at Century Wharf. ’’To Let’’ signs displayed from properties are also prohibited.

Repairs

We aim to resolve any Emergency Repairs immediately, or close the facility down.  Any urgent repairs that are not a threat to health and safety or the actual use of the development will be attended to within 24 hours; if we have any routine repairs we will complete them within 7 days of them being reported.

Alterations to your Property

Structural changes within your property are not permitted without written consent from Century Wharf RTM Company Limited. Please contact the Managing Agent, Warwick, for further details should you wish to make structural changes.

Pumps & Toilets

Please be mindful of what you flush down the toilet, sink or bath. No wipes, nappies, sanitary products or cooking fat should be disposed of this way as this can lead to blockages within the communal pipework.

Car Parking

Parking is on-site. There is one space for one car for those owners who have an allocated car parking space. Some apartments have two car parking spaces and this will be advised to you by the agent or the owner of the property.

There is no right for any other owner to park in the spaces allocated to those owners who have a space. There are spare parking places within the site and these are clearly marked with the letter V for visitor. Parking on the site not in a parking bay is strictly forbidden, including parking on the roadside.

Residents are required to park within their allocated parking space at all times; visitor parking spaces are for the use on a first come first served basis.

Parking enforcements are in force, and permits are required. An appeal system is in place via the parking contractor. Please refer to the prominent signage on site. The car park is not to be used for any purpose whatsoever other than parking private motor vehicles or motor cycles. No trailers, caravans, boats or other similar chattel to be brought onto any part of the development.

No vehicle maintenance to be carried out on any part of the development.

Satellite Television

The building has an integrated TV Network with a Satellite Digital TV content. Your Lease prevents you from installing a satellite dish on or attached to the building.  Any attempt to place the dish on the building will not only breach planning conditions, it will be a breach of terms of the lease and you will either be asked to remove it or it will be removed by a nominated contractor.

Barbeques

Please note that the use of barbecues on terraces/balconies is strictly prohibited.  Smoke and smells from barbecues constitute a nuisance to other residents, and more importantly, Barbecues constitute an obvious and unacceptable fire risk.

Landscaping

The landscaping is carried out by our appointed gardeners on a yearly maintenance contract. Should you have any comments or any questions on any issue in regard to the Landscaping you can forward your suggestion to the development manager.

Please keep your dogs off grassed areas and respect the No Fouling signs. If your dog does foul anywhere on the development you must bag and dispose immediately, in any of the external litter bins on site. (See section on keeping dogs).

Cleaning

Cleaning is carried out on a weekly basis by on-site staff and their duties are defined.

Should you have any issues, you may contact the concierge office. It is the responsibility of the owners to clean their own windows where it is safe to do so.

Communal window cleaning is carried out to the glazed areas where access by residents is not appropriate. A suitable frequency has been agreed with a window-cleaning contractor. All window cleaning contractors carry identification with them at all times, a window cleaning schedule will be placed on the notice boards of each block.

Reporting Maintenance Issues

This should be done via the admin@centurywharf.co.uk or the concierge office or the Property Manager.

Any emergency or reactive repairs to any of the electrics to the site are carried out by an electrical contractor.

Emergency Lighting on escape routes and stairways

Please report any lights that are not working, immediately.

Lift Maintenance

The lifts at Century Wharf are serviced by various lift companies. They will service, maintain, and repair lifts as per the contact.

Security

Please do not use the emergency door on the ground floor for any other reason than for escape means only. If left open, the security of your House is at risk.

Your security is important to us, and we ask residents not to leave doors propped open or ajar.

Please also be aware of who you are letting into the building, although holding doors is a courteous thing to do, this may not always be the best thing to do and you could potentially be opening the door to crime. Please be cautious.

Residents must not provide any unauthorised person/s with any access to the complex.

If you misplace/lose your access fobs report this immediately in order that action can be taken to secure the premises.

Internal Leaks

When finding an internal water leak, advise Concierge immediately (concierge@centurywharf.co.uk), as well as contacting your own plumber (or Managing Agent if you are a tenant).

If the leak is coming from the flat above, please let the resident above know by either knocking or leaving a note under their door.  It is the responsibility of the resident of the flat above to investigate and contact a plumber who will undertake repairs. The excess for insurance purposes is £1000.

Tenants: when the leak has been rectified you will need to contact your landlord who will in turn contact the building insurer.

Electricity Meter Cupboards

Meter cupboards can be opened with a key from the Concierge Office. You will find the meter cupboards located in the undercroft or on the ground floor of each block. Riser cupboards and electrical internal rooms must not be used by Residents for storage or opened by anyone other than the Managing Agents or their authorised contractors and utility providers in order to read the meters or to carry out maintenance. If upon inspection we find that personal belongings have been stored in any meter cupboards or the Riser cupboards we will remove them immediately and dispose of without reference to the owner.

Use of the common Parts

Bikes, furniture, plants and plant pots, shelving, mattresses and sofas are all items that some residents firmly believe they can store in the common parts or entrance areas to their apartments.  Unfortunately this is not only inconsiderate of their fellow residents and neighbours, it is a fire hazard and a breach of Health and Safety. Once again the Managing Agents responsibility is to act to prevent injury to residents in any development.

It is imperative that no items should be stored in the communal area. Storing such items is a clear breach of your lease and more importantly creates a Health & Safety risk together with a fire safety risk.

If there were to be a fire any items causing a blockage could prevent access to the emergency services, or impede residents route out of the building. Breaches of both Health & Safety and Fire Safety regulations come with large fines and imprisonment.

It is the Managing Agents responsibility to act to prevent injury to residents in any development. It is also our responsibility to prevent the storage of combustible material that may cause fire and damage to the development, or result in serious harm or death to the residents.

Pets

Under the terms of the Lease pets are not allowed to be kept in any apartment on the site. This includes cats, dogs and budgerigars, etc. You require the authority of CW Estates as Managing Agents as directed by the Directors of the RTM Company to keep a pet. As a general rule the Lease, which is held by the property owner, will make reference to any conditions and will give guidance on the procedures in obtaining any such consent. Specific instructions are given below.

Please Note Permission for Pets can only be granted to the Lease Holder. Tenants are not able to keep a pet or apply for permission to keep a pet.

Dog Ownership at Century Wharf

1.  Have you obtained consent for your Dog?
2. If not please do so without delay.

 The dog population at Century Wharf has substantially increased leading to a degradation of the grounds and increased risk to the health and wellbeing of residents, both from a personal safety and environmental perspective.

There have been occasions where dogs have attacked other residents and pets resulting in police action, the removal and destruction of the animal and the prosecution of the owner.

A considerable number of bags containing dog faeces have been discovered in hedges and borders during grounds maintenance. This is not the fault of the dog – it is the fault of the owner.

In accordance with the terms of the lease, prior consent is required to keep a pet and failure to do so will result in a requirement to remove it from the development.

Before bringing a pet to Century Wharf an application must be made to admin@centurywharf.co.uk or to the Property Manager, where consideration will be given as to whether to give consent, taking into account the terms of the lease and the right to make or vary Estate Regulations for the preservation of the amenities of the Estate or the general convenience of the occupiers of the dwellings. A record is maintained of such consent and where it has not been granted appropriate action will be taken.

Consent does not extend to any person other than the leaseholder and will not be given in respect of any dangerous or prohibited animal.

Owners are reminded of the legal requirement for all dogs to be micro-chipped.

To reduce the aforementioned risks and to promote good neighbourliness, all dog owners must:

• Prevent Dog Fouling – The gardens and lawns are for the use and enjoyment of all and it is unacceptable to allow dogs to foul these areas. In the event of accidental fouling dog owners must remove faeces and dispose of it in the appropriate bins – not the food waste or recycling bins (outside bins or down the internal shute).
• Keep dogs on leads – ensure that dogs are kept on leads at all times within the development and where required, muzzled.
• Help us to keep our Development environmentally clean and Child-Friendly, for the enjoyment of all the residents and the safety of the gardeners.  We do have many open areas outside of Century Wharf in which to exercise your dog.  Please note it is a legal requirement to pick up after your dog in Canal Park.

Please respect your environment by keeping it clean and litter free.

For the enjoyment of all residents Living at Century Wharf.

5.0    Responsibilities of all Century Wharf Residents

The following excerpt from the terms of the lease is reproduced here for leaseholders and tenants who may not have been provided with these terms by the owner. The purpose of these conditions is to provide a pleasant and enjoyable place of residence for all. If you are renting, as a reminder you can’t have a pet.

You are required to:

1. Keep your apartment in a good state of Repair at all times.
2. Keep the internal surfaces of the windows of the Apartments clean and where it is safe to do so keep the external surfaces clean at least every  four weeks.
3. Deposit all domestic refuse (being suitably wrapped in the interests of hygiene) in a refuse container in the bins forming part of the amenity area. Please observe the correct use of Recycle bins.

You are not allowed to:

1. Obstruct the stairs, hallways, walkways and landings of the Common Parts in the Building;
2. Do anything that would breach planning obligations;
3. Use your parking space for any purpose other than the parking of one motor car or motor cycle, or to park on the roadside or obstruct any parking bay or entrance.
4. Allow any boat, house on wheels, caravan or vehicles of a commercial nature on the development.
5. Place on or within the premises any aerial, satellite dish, notice sign or advertisement so as to be visible from the exterior of the premises.
6. Display or hang or display any window boxes, bicycles, clothes or washing from any window or balcony;
7. Use the balcony other than for ornamental purposes and sitting out.
8. Do anything which may invalidate any insurance on the apartment or property.
9. Carry on or permit any trade or business from the apartment.
10. Do, or omit to do, anything which may be or become a nuisance or cause any annoyance, damage or inconvenience to any other owner or occupier.
11. Leave any items in the entrance hallways, staircases or landings of the buildings, and obstruct any paths or driveways on the Estate.
12. Bring into, keep or store in the apartment any article, substance or liquid of an 
inflammable or explosive nature.
13. Play or use any musical instrument, television, radio loudspeaker, mechanical or other noisemaking instrument of any kind in the apartment so as to cause annoyance to other residents, or to be audible outside the apartment between the hours of 11 pm
and 9am;
14. Keep in the apartment any bird, dog or other animal without the prior written consent of the Directors of the Management Company; this consent may be revoked at any time.
15. Place, store or keep any litter outside the apartment.
16. Smoke in any of the common parts of the stairways or public areas.
17. Keep Cycles or ornaments of any description on the balcony or to have or hold any barbecue equipment or to use such equipment at any time.

Please help us to make Century Wharf a  pleasant and stress free environment to Live at.

 Serving the Residents of Century Wharf.

 Century Wharf (One) RTM Company Limited
 Century Wharf (Two) RTM Company Limited
 Century Wharf (Three) RTM Company Limited
 

The information in this guide is correct in 2021 so it is possible that prices given in this guide will change in future.