Featured Articles

Fire safety in residential buildings relies on strong compartmentation and effective fire engineering. Compartmentation creates fire-resistant barriers that slow the spread of flames and smoke, while further engineering measures ensure systems for prevention, detection and suppression are in place and effective within the building’s design.

Town & City Management Ltd is a residential property management company headquartered in Darlington, with coverage extending to London, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and beyond. Our mission is simple: to deliver professional, ethical, and responsive management services that support leaseholders, freeholders, and resident directors - not just in terms of compliance and service delivery, but in ways that actively promote wellbeing.

For Build to Rent (BTR) developments, a dependable supply of heating, cooling and hot water is an essential part of creating a comfortable living environment that attracts and retains residents. That’s why it’s important that any communal energy centres delivering these services run efficiently, transparently, and reliably. 

At Earl Kendrick, we work closely with property managers across a diverse range of assets, and one of the most dynamic areas we see shaping the market today is Build to Rent (BTR) – also referred to as the Private Rented Sector (PRS). Unlike traditional buy-to-let, BTR is designed from the outset for professional rental, offering long-term, institutionally backed housing.

Build to Rent has been sold as sleek and simple. One landlord, one block, hundreds of tenants. No enfranchisement, no service charge rows, no residents’ committees. For investors, it promised hotel-style housing with stable income and professional management.

The long-term success of Build to Rent developments really comes down to three things: service quality, sense of community and a strong Net Operating Income. Having delivered tailored property management services to a range of clients in the BTR sector, Rendall & Rittner understands how to uphold the reputation of BTR operators, control running costs and maximise resident’s living experience.

The Build-to-Rent (BTR) sector – including purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) and co-living – is the fastest-growing residential market in the UK. Institutional investment continues to pour into high-quality schemes across major cities. Residents expect not only lifestyle amenities but safe, well-managed homes.

A major new online training programme has been launched to support the next generation of property managers adapting to remote and hybrid work. New Block Manager: Career Jumpstart is the creation of Joe Mallon MRICS FTPI, Managing Director of JFM Block & Estate Management and founder of The Block Coach, a new platform dedicated to improving professional development across the block and estate management sector.

A national trade body is offering householders tips to help mitigate the risk of water damage to their properties, in the run-up to National Flood Week. The Environment Agency’s Flood Action Week takes place on 13 – 19 October.

With Halloween on the horizon, nationwide cash buying company and quick sale specialists, Springbok Properties, has revealed the housing horror stories that could give sellers the biggest fright, with subsidence topping the list, knocking more than £53,000 off the value of the average UK home. 

The Right to Manage (RTM) has become an increasingly accessible route for leaseholders wanting greater control in the management of their buildings. In March this year we saw the widening of buildings that qualify and the introduction of a general requirement for parties to bear their own costs.

When the government widened permitted development rights last year, it signalled more than just another technical tweak to the planning system. The February 2024 amendments to Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) have the potential to transform the way our towns and cities evolve, and potentially changes the fortunes of many older buildings.