Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions Asuka247 hears most often. Fire safety, HMO compliance, block maintenance, extensions, and cleaning across the Thames Valley. Each answer links to the full page for more detail.
Fire safety and compliance
Fire doors, the Fire Safety Act 2021, HMO fire safety, and Section 20 compliance across Thames Valley blocks.
What is an FD30 fire door?
An FD30 fire door is a certified door assembly that resists fire and smoke for 30 minutes. It includes the door leaf, frame, intumescent strips, cold-smoke seals, and approved ironmongery. All four parts must be compliant.
Fire Safety ComplianceWhat does the Fire Safety Act 2021 require from me?
The Act widens the scope of the Regulatory Reform Order to include flat entrance doors and external walls in blocks. Freeholders and managing agents must assess and manage fire risk for these parts. Asuka247 delivers the practical remediation work.
Fire Safety Act 2021 GuideHow often should fire doors be inspected?
Common-parts fire doors need a quarterly check. Flat entrance fire doors need an annual check. These requirements come from the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 for buildings over 11 metres.
FD30 Fire Doors GuideWho is legally responsible for fire safety in a block of flats?
The Responsible Person is usually the freeholder or managing agent. They must carry out a fire risk assessment and act on its findings. Asuka247 delivers the remediation work the assessment calls for.
Fire Safety ComplianceWhat is fire stopping and why does it matter?
Fire stopping seals gaps where services pass through compartment walls. Without fire stopping, fire and smoke travel between flats through pipe runs and cable voids. A missing seal fails inspection and puts residents at risk.
Fire Safety ComplianceHMO compliance
HMO licensing, fire safety, room sizes, and amenity ratios for landlords across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.
Does my property need an HMO licence?
Yes if your property is rented to 5 or more unrelated people sharing amenities. Additional licensing schemes in Reading, Slough, and parts of Buckinghamshire extend this further. Check your council's licensing register.
HMO Compliance ChecklistDo HMOs need different fire safety measures to blocks of flats?
Yes. HMOs need interlinked smoke and heat alarms, 30-minute fire doors on bedrooms and kitchens, emergency lighting in common parts, and a fire risk assessment. Blocks of flats follow the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 regime.
Fire Safety ComplianceWhat are the minimum HMO room sizes?
6.51 square metres minimum for one adult. 10.22 square metres minimum for two adults sharing. 4.64 square metres minimum for a child under 10. Rooms below these sizes cannot be counted as sleeping accommodation.
HMO Compliance ChecklistCan you provide a fire safety compliance pack for insurers?
Yes. Every job ends with a compliance pack including certificates, photo evidence, and a defect remediation log. Insurers and managing agents accept it as audit evidence.
Fire Safety ComplianceBlock maintenance
Day-to-day upkeep, Section 20 consultation, response times, and managing agent coordination.
What does block maintenance include?
Block maintenance covers communal repairs, fire safety compliance, communal cleaning, emergency response, and annual condition surveys. Asuka247 delivers all of these under one contract across your block.
Block MaintenanceWho pays for block maintenance in a leasehold flat?
Leaseholders pay through the service charge. The freeholder or managing agent instructs the maintenance contractor. Asuka247 invoices the instructing party and supplies the documentation needed for the annual accounts.
Block MaintenanceWhen does Section 20 consultation apply?
Section 20 applies when qualifying works cost more than 250 GBP per flat, or a long-term contract exceeds 100 GBP per flat per year. Miss the consultation and the amount recoverable from each leaseholder is capped.
Section 20 ConsultationHow fast can you respond to a communal emergency?
Inside Berkshire, Asuka247 targets a 4-hour response for genuine emergencies. We operate an out-of-hours line for flooding, lock failures, and safety issues.
Block MaintenanceExtensions and construction
House extensions, loft conversions, planning permission, Party Wall, and build timelines across the Thames Valley.
Do I need planning permission for an extension?
Some extensions fall under permitted development and do not need planning permission. Others need a full application. Asuka247 checks your boundary, property type, and conservation status before quoting.
Planning Permission vs Permitted DevelopmentWhat is a party wall agreement?
A legal agreement between you and your neighbour when you excavate near or build onto a shared wall. The Party Wall Act 1996 sets out the process. We coordinate surveyors when the Act applies.
Party Wall Agreements ExplainedExtension or loft conversion: which should I choose?
Extensions add horizontal space, usually kitchen or dining. Loft conversions add vertical space, usually a bedroom. Decide based on what your family is short of: bedroom count or living space.
Extension vs Loft ConversionHow much does an extension cost per square metre in the Thames Valley?
Thames Valley single-storey extensions sit in the 2500 to 3500 GBP per square metre range for standard finishes. Double-storey is usually 2000 to 2800 per square metre. Loft conversions sit at 1800 to 2600.
House Extensions and New BuildsHow long does a single-storey rear extension take?
Most single-storey rear extensions take 10 to 14 weeks on site once planning and building regulations are cleared. Complex groundworks or bespoke joinery can extend the programme.
House Extensions and New BuildsCleaning and end of tenancy
Communal cleaning schedules, end of tenancy standards, and agent-grade turnaround work.
How often should communal areas be cleaned?
Most blocks need weekly or fortnightly cleaning in high-footfall entrances and monthly attention to bin stores and external areas. HMOs typically need weekly cleaning.
Communal CleaningWhat is included in end of tenancy cleaning?
Kitchen deep clean including oven and appliances, bathroom descale, carpet cleaning, hard floor mopping, internal windows, skirting, doors, and light switches. Full cupboard interiors are included.
End of Tenancy CleaningDo you guarantee deposit-back cleaning standards?
We clean to agent-grade standards and provide photo evidence. If a letting agent flags an issue within 48 hours, Asuka247 returns to re-clean the specific area at no extra charge.
End of Tenancy CleaningHow long does end of tenancy cleaning take?
A one-bedroom flat takes 4 to 5 hours with two cleaners. A three-bedroom house takes 6 to 8 hours with two cleaners. Carpets add 1 to 2 hours drying time.
End of Tenancy CleaningCoverage and scheduling
Where we work, how we respond, and how to get in touch.
Which Thames Valley areas do you cover?
Asuka247 covers Slough, Eton, Maidenhead, Windsor, Reading, Bracknell, Wokingham, Ascot, Newbury, Burnham, Taplow, Iver, Stoke Poges, High Wycombe, Marlow, Beaconsfield, Amersham, Henley-on-Thames, Staines, and Egham.
Thames Valley CoverageHow do I book Asuka247?
Call 07931 118 247, WhatsApp +44 7931 118 247, email office@asuka247.com, or book a 30-minute consultation online.
Book a ConsultationAre you insured?
Yes. Asuka247 is fully insured with public liability cover. Certificates are available on request for managing agents, landlords, and insurers.
About our servicesDid not find your answer?
Call 07931 118 247, WhatsApp +44 7931 118 247, or book a 30-minute consultation.