Biggest block management headaches revealed

Utilities, cleaning and gardening are the most common block management requirements, accounting for almost two-thirds of all call-outs and maintenance tasks carried out in 2025, according to latest insight from Rushbrook & Rathbone.

The property management specialist’s internal data shines a light on what most frequently drives costs when it comes to block management, analysing both the volume of works carried out and the share of expenditure attributed to each category during 2025.

The data shows that utilities were the single most common block management requirement in 2025, accounting for 30.6 per cent of all call-outs and works undertaken. Cleaning and window cleaning ranked second, accounting for 22.1 per cent, whilst gardening made up a further 12.7 per cent.

Together, these three categories accounted for 65.4 per cent of all block management activity across the year.

General maintenance ranked fourth, accounting for 6.3 per cent of activity, followed closely by fire risk assessment and health and safety requirements at 6.2 per cent. Electrical services also accounted for 5.0 per cent of all work undertaken.

However, the categories that occurred most often were not necessarily those that accounted for the largest share of total expenditure.

Gardening accounted for the largest share of block management spend in 2025 at 14.9 per cent, followed by insurance at 14.5 per cent, largely driven by increasing premiums across the market, particularly for older buildings or those with higher risk profiles.

Management fees also ranked highly at 14.2 per cent, driven by financial administration, compliance with evolving legislation, contractor management, and resident communication, along with cleaning and window cleaning at 14.1 per cent.

Despite accounting for 30.6 per cent of all activity, utilities represented just 7.4 per cent of total expenditure, reflecting the fact that whilst they are by far the most frequent requirement, they are generally lower cost on an individual basis.

Susan Feasey, Associate Director – Block Management at Rushbrook & Rathbone, commented: “Many people assume that the biggest costs in block management come from major repairs or emergency works, but in reality it is often the more routine and recurring requirements that have the greatest impact.

“Utilities, cleaning and gardening may not sound particularly significant in isolation, but because they are required so frequently they account for a huge proportion of both the time and cost involved in managing a building.

“At the same time, there are categories such as insurance and management fees that occur far less frequently, but still make up a significant proportion of overall expenditure.

“What this really highlights is the complexity of block management. It is not simply about reacting when something goes wrong, but about coordinating a wide range of ongoing requirements in order to keep a building running safely, smoothly and cost effectively.”