In one privately managed development, Minster Court in Liverpool, residents complained that necessary maintenance work to their building had not been carried out, leaving it in a state of disrepair.

Worst case

They invited the producer and I to have a look round. They showed us peeling paint, rotting wood, faulty intercoms, broken windows.

We called in an independent expert. He inspected the property and concluded that this was one of the worst cases he had come across.

Then we heard about more developments that had been managed by the same company, Regent Management, based at Yeadon near Leeds.

In Bolton, for example, we asked a local estate agent to tell us how much one of the properties bought about ten years ago for £40,000 would now be worth.

Luxury development

He told us that it had dropped in value and that the fact it had not been maintained regularly had been a significant factor. He said it was now worth £25,000.

There was a luxury development in Liverpool where some of the cities rich and famous reside.

Their buildings had gone up in value and were being cared for but one couple who lived there told us about an unexpected bill they had received.

Mystery bill

They had been told that the whole block was liable for a deficit of £63,000. They had no idea how such an amount had accrued and were anxious to get to the bottom of it.

They were convinced that they were not getting the service they were paying for.

So they agreed to help us go undercover.

They had set up a meeting with one of the company's directors so we set about explaining about the secret recording equipment and going over the questions they wanted answers to.

Unanswered questions

The director arrived and the couple wasted no time.

They asked about the deficit several times and eventually the director did say that he would look into the matter.

It is important to check out a managing agent before you let them look after your property and also keep on top of the day to day management.

It is also worth checking out the terms and conditions of your lease so you are fully aware what needs to be done.