By David Lawrenson

Own a flat in a block? Fed up with useless managing agents and incompetent freeholders? Lots of people are. So, why not take over the management?

The good news is you can take over the management of the block. The bad news is that you may well be put off by the work involved and the red tape. In this article, he explains what you need to know.

Most people will be scared of running their own block.

They imagine lots of red tape to deal with and the grim prospect of having to chase neghbours or absentee landlords who have "forgotten" to pay the service charges.