Property Management Firm FirstPort Questioned by MPs Over Service Charge Allegations

Executives from the property management company FirstPort faced scrutiny in Parliament regarding claims of misrepresenting services. Members of Parliament highlighted instances where residents reportedly incurred charges of £150 for light bulbs that were never installed, alongside other residents being billed hundreds of pounds for new letterboxes. FirstPort committed to establishing a dedicated point of contact for MPs to interact with the firm and agreed to reappear in Westminster within 12 months. A spokesperson for the company stated: “We are committed to promptly addressing specific issues brought to our attention.” In response to FirstPort’s assertion that merely one in 2,000 customers had lodged a complaint, Esher and Walton MP Monica Harding noted that customers had “given up trying” to locate a contact point within the company. Previously, residents informed the BBC that service charges—the fees for maintaining shared spaces—imposed by property management company FirstPort on certain new-build estates throughout the West have significantly increased. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Tewkesbury MP Cameron Thomas was one of the Liberal Democrat Members of Parliament who questioned FirstPort’s managing director Martin King and various department heads regarding the issues raised by their constituents. Mr. Thomas has since advocated for a “significant change of culture.” Mr. Thomas stated: “As representatives for thousands of FirstPort customers, Lib Dem MPs demand a better service for our residents. Many customers do not fully understand the terms, nor the charges related to their estate management contracts, and find FirstPort particularly opaque, unavailable, and even threatening in their communication.” A spokesperson for The FirstPort Group commented that the parliamentary meeting facilitated productive discussions concerning the evolving landscape and difficulties within their sector. The spokesperson continued: “It also provided an opportunity to highlight the improvements we are making to better serve our customers. We would like to thank all the MPs who attended for their time and valuable contributions.”