For Residents

This section sets out those aspects which relate to the good order and management of Rookwood Court, designed to maximise the comfort and amenity of all residents. For the benefit of the whole Rookwood Court community, residents are expected to conform to the advice.

As a minimum please be familiar with three key sections:

Peer pressure can be a powerful force. Gently mentioning any concerns about other residents behaviour can resolve issues quickly. If you need help, contact management.

Extensions approved by the Board to the conditions in the lease reflect how society has developed over three decades together with the benefit of owner, resident and director experience about what sets Rookwood Court apart as a special place to live. Formal regulations are in Main Lease Conditions.

If you have comments on anything in this section, in the first instance please contact your landlord. Owners can contact the Managing Agent.

Fire Safety and Security

Cooperation from residents is essential to keep RC buildings safe and legally compliant. To meet the Estate's legal responsibilities, the following advice must be followed.

Fire Safety

Fire Risk Assessment

Government legislation requires an annual Fire Risk Assessment (FRA). Under fire safety rules, all communal fire escape route areas — including corridors, stairwells, lobbies, and meter cupboards — must be kept clear of all personal belongings, decorations and storage, including furniture, bicycles, plants, boxes, shoes, and any item that could pose a fire or trip hazard. Rookwood Court operates a zero-tolerance policy on doormats placed outside flats in communal hallway areas. To comply with fire safety regulations and maintain clear escape routes, all doormats must be kept entirely inside the flat. Wall‑hung pictures are permitted only if they are securely fixed, sit flush with the wall, and are framed in safety glass (tempered or laminated) or another low‑combustibility material, all subject to the current FRA.

If items are present:

The FRA may be failed, leading to serious legal consequences for the estate.
Non-compliance is a breach of the lease, which may lead to legal action.
RC building's insurance could be invalidated.
If there is a fire, leaseholders could be held personally liable for damage.
The estate has the right and a duty to remove and dispose of items without notice with costs charged to the flat's Service Charge account.

Emergency Procedure

The Emergency Procedure is displayed in each block.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service provide advice on fire prevention and offer free home fire safety visits to eligible residents. They may also fit a smoke alarm where needed during the visit. For more information, please contact the service directly or visit the Surrey County Council website.

Other Advice

All doors within common areas are fire doors which must be allowed to self-close to protect the escape route and so as not to invalidate insurance. Wedging fire doors open is illegal. Please ensure fire doors are not obstructed or held open at any time.
Legally all let flats must have a working smoke alarm. A smoke alarm should meet the requirements of BS5839-6 category LD3 (battery powered smoke alarm grade F) to sound only in the property. A carbon monoxide alarm is also recommended.
Resident owners are also strongly advised to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and to keep a heavy-duty fire blanket in the kitchen.
To avoid fire risk and nuisance to other residents, barbecues are not permitted anywhere in RC.
Residents and owners must observe the advice about door design and use. In particular a self-closing mechanism must be fitted, correctly adjusted and in working order.
Landlords must ensure that the gas installation is inspected annually and a current Gas Safety Certificate is held.
It is also recommended that electrical installations are checked at least every 10 years (or more frequently if the property is let) by a qualified electrician to ensure safety and compliance.
LPG cylinders must not be stored in flats or communal areas.

Security

Although flats are reasonably secure, over the years there have been a few break-ins and security alerts. See also AirBnB.

The Entryphone system was installed some years ago to provide a more secure environment for residents.

Although there is provision for access to accommodate deliveries between 6:00 and 18:00, do not compromise security during the rest of the 24-hour period.

Outer doors must not be left open for any length of time either on catches or with the latch overridden - stay within sight of the door if you leave it insecure.
Do not give access to casual callers, canvassers or other unknown persons.
Use both locks on your own front door and always shut and lock your garage door, especially if ladders or steps are stored inside.

If you are going away, please consider leaving your keys with a neighbour or friend and let one of the Directors or the Managing Agent know who has them. There have been emergency situations such as gas or water leaks when residents have been away.

Keep Rookwood Court Tidy

Washing

Do not hang or display washing in grounds, windows or balconies.

Notices

Notices of any kind are not allowed on windows, outside walls or external doors.

Litter

If you drop litter anywhere in the estate please remove it.

For the benefit of everyone, if you notice other litter please take it to one of the bins.

If the problem appears serious please contact the Directors or Managing Agent.

Please do not drop litter into the drains.

Tenancy

Residents are reminded that the Lease restricts occupation to one family unit and prohibits use for business purposes. The prohibition on business use is relaxed for employees working from home and using employers' information system and technology over the Internet.

Smoking and Drugs

Smoking

We are a Non-Smoking and Non-Vaping estate, including all of the grounds.

Smoking including Vaping is illegal in the common areas of all blocks.

Illegal Drugs

Possession and use of drugs is against the law. The Estate has a Zero Tolerance Drug Policy. Directors will take all available steps to exclude drug users from the estate. Where possible leases will be forfeit.

If you become aware of other residents using drugs, including evidence of smoking them, please contact the Directors or Managing Agent so they can deal with the problem.

Children

Children are welcome in the estate. Their laughter and enthusiasm are a real delight.

They are allowed to play in the grounds. Those under 10 years must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times.

For safety reasons please do not allow children of any age to use a prop to slide down steep slopes (no sledges, trays, trikes, boards etc).

Children must not play in any of the common interior areas or in bin stores.

Please ensure that your family does not cause a nuisance to other residents. This might for example mean asking older children to go elsewhere to enjoy their more rigorous games.

Parking

Parking is a recurring problem because space is limited. In addition to the garage or designated parking space allocated to each flat, there are only a limited number of common parking spaces (about one per three flats) for visitors, workmen and second cars.

Park only in designated areas shown on the Approved Parking Plan.
Parking on yellow lines is permitted only for active loading and unloading for up to 20 minutes.
Bona-fide trade vehicles are allowed from 08:30 to 17:00. Please ask your workmen to display a notice on the dashboard identifying where they are working.
Because of inevitable over demand, whenever possible please use garages for parking, not solely for storage.
Resident parking on the estate is limited to one private motor car according to the lease agreement. Trade vehicles, caravans, camper vans, motor homes, trailers, or any large vehicles should not be parked by residents or their visitors between 17:00 and 08:30. However, there might be some sporadic exceptions to this restriction from Friday night to Monday morning. If you need to park such a vehicle during this time, please contact the agent in advance to request permission. It is important to note that these vehicles should not be used for accommodation purposes.
Resident vehicles must be in regular use, taxed, insured and roadworthy. Long term parking of infrequently used vehicles is not allowed.

The estate speed limit is 10 MPH.

Parking Permits

Residents & Visitors Parking Permits are issued annually to all flats.
Permits are for identification purposes and do not imply a right to park except in accordance with the regulations.
Residents are required to display a Residents Parking Permit of the current issue.
All visitors staying for more than two hours must display a Visitors Parking Permit of the current issue.
Permits should be transferred on the sale of a flat or change of tenancy. If you do not have permits of the current issue, you may request replacements from the Managing Agent. A charge may be made.
Permits are for resident and genuine visitor use. They should not be lent to friends or relatives for free parking for shopping, business or whilst you are away.
Parking permit numbers are unique for each flat but coded for security.

Flashpark

Approved Parking Plan

The estate is covered by the Flashpark system. Vehicles without a visible valid permit are liable to a daily £85 charge. If unauthorised parking is suspected a notice will be placed on the windscreen, which may be within the two hour limit. If parking is legitimate please appeal to the Managing Agent within 24 hours.

Noise

Outside

In consideration for your neighbours, please be 'as quiet as a mouse' if you are outside between 22:00 and 08:30.

Those with bedrooms close to estate roadways are easily disturbed by banging doors, loud voices, engine noise as well as loading and unloading.

Musical instruments, radios, televisions, stereos, PCs and mobile devices are not to be played in the grounds at such a volume that they disturb others. This includes car radios.

Inside

Please be considerate of your neighbours, especially in the late evening.

Although the flats are soundly constructed, there can be problems with the transmission of noise both up and down. In addition to radios, televisions, stereos and speakers on PCs or mobile devices, banging self-closing doors and cupboards can be a nuisance.

It is worth talking to neighbours, above and below, about your and their experience of noise disturbance. You may be able to come to an informal agreement about how any perceived excess can best be handled. For our most recent advice, please see noise suppression.

If you can, please restrict the use of washing machines and DIY activities to daytime hours.

Your Lease restricts playing a musical instrument, radio, television or singing between midnight and 7:00. Headphones or earbuds are an excellent way of minimising nuisance at any time of day.

Floor coverings affect noise (see Floor Coverings).

Complaints

From time to time we receive complaints of noise and other nuisance caused by individual residents. In serious cases of continuing offence or damage and where there is clear evidence of a breach of Lease conditions, warnings will be followed by the Company's Solicitor being asked to take action.

All this takes time and it is better to seek more immediate relief. First of all it is advisable to draw attention directly to the nuisance and ask in a neighbourly fashion for it to cease. A noisy party is a case in point. However, if a direct approach fails call Guildford Borough Council (Environmental Health Department) ☏ 01483 505050 (24 hours).

Noise Suppression

Problems with noise have been a common issue at Rookwood Court, due mainly to relatively high up and down transmission. Residents are therefore encouraged to follow the advice here, which can make a major improvement to everyone's experience.

This advice applies to all flats, irrespective of floor covering. Following the advice is obligatory for residents of all flats with wooden floors. Please be aware that those making the most noise are likely to be the least aware of the distress they cause.

For upper floor flats (ie above the ground floor) an underlay designed to suppress noise transmission is recommended for all Floor Coverings.

Residents should:

wear soft soled footwear - this also applies to guests but workmen are excluded
avoid dropping objects by mistake and never intentionally (no bouncing balls or babies!)
in flats with wooden floors, attach heavy duty (5mm) self-adhesive felt to the legs of all moveable furniture, especially tables and chairs. Suitable packs are available for less than £15, eg Simalahome furniture pads

In addition we urge all residents to speak quietly, to keep sound from all other sources at a minimum and to strictly observe the midnight to 07:00 noise curfew.

Noise from conversations in lobbies is another issue. Sound travels very easily through front doors, so be aware that what is said can be overheard. If you are gently asked whether your conversation will finish soon please find an alternative location if you need to continue.

If you have a continuing problem with unreasonable noise from neighbours, first of all speak to them and make them aware of this advice. If that does not result in an improvement, please contact the Managing Agent. You may be asked for evidence, eg a record of the disturbances.

Pets

The Directors consider that the flats are unsuitable for pets and strongly recommend that residents avoid having them. The provisions of the lease allow you to keep up to two domestic animals or, if renting, depending on your Tenancy Agreement.

Pets must be kept under control. Dogs must always be on a lead on the grounds, including the woods above the upper garages and you must pick up and dispose of their litter. No exceptions please.

We experience difficulty with dogs barking, often when the owner is out. Please make arrangements so your pets do not disturb other residents.

Ask visitors not to bring their dogs unless staying with you overnight. If you wish to exercise with your friends and their dogs please find a place away from the estate.

Flower Beds

Existing Beds

Residents are invited to adopt a section of existing flower beds.

Costs are for participants
There is plenty of free compost in the Rook Wood

Hardy or half-hardy annuals can be sown in April or May. Californian Poppy, Nigella (Love in a Mist) and Cornflower are good choices. Cosmos makes a fantastic show, but needs more watering. Sunflowers work well near a boundary. Packets of seeds and boxes of flowers are readily available. Herbs also work well.

For more information please contact the Managing Agent.

New Beds

Residents who are leaseholders are invited to sponsor new flower beds, including major revisions to existing planting.

Permission must be sought from the Managing Agent in advance
All arrangements and costs including ongoing maintenance are for the leaseholder
If a change is incomplete the cost of restitution to the original condition will be charged to the leaseholder