Britain's Best Apartment

Building Management Resource

In July 2020 the Law Commission published three reports containing over 100 recommendations to enhance leaseholders’ rights to extend their leases, buy their freeholds and take over the management of their buildings.

More than a year on from the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act (LAFRA), there is a feeling in the leasehold enfranchisement sector of progress, but also anticipation and some frustration. There is relief that progress has been made after years of debate, frustration that many of the LAFRA’s provisions remain unimplemented and anticipation as we await secondary legislation and a draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill.

The recent Autumn Budget announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves drew significant attention, heightened by the unusual early release of key details. In the end, the measures were more restrained than many anticipated. While there are changes that affect investors and owners of higher-value homes, the Budget is far less severe than many feared. Most importantly, if the plans do succeed in easing inflation, this could support lower interest rates and offer welcome relief to mortgage holders as early as the next Monetary Policy Committee meeting in December.

Cleaners and concierges at the luxury West End Quay (WEQ) development in Paddington – where flats sell for millions – have announced a 12-day Christmas strike from 19 December 2025 to 2 January 2026, after bosses reneged on an ACAS-brokered agreement and imposed a year-long pay freeze on low-paid, non-managerial staff only.

Throughout 2025 I have spent hours in meetings with and on discussion panels with institutional investors, developers and local authorities. And everything I’ve picked up on in the last year suggests that 2026 will be a crossroads for Build to Rent (BTR). The fundamentals are as strong as they have ever been. Demand for quality rental homes is intense, capital is available and the development pipeline is substantial.

Property management company The FirstPort Group, which manages over 100 heat networks across the UK, has set up a dedicated Energy Team. The team will support clients in meeting the requirements introduced under the Energy Act 2023 – a landmark reform set to transform the management of communal heat networks and enhance service reliability for residents.   

A substantial apartment block in the heart of Fitzrovia in London has gone on sale for offers over £11 million.  Watling Real Estate has been instructed to sell Emerson Bainbridge House on behalf of Oliver Haunch and Hina Patel of Grant Thornton, the joint administrators of Zeba Properties Ltd. 

Glide Property Management has appointed Matthew Strong as Senior Technical Property Manager, strengthening its national team with one of the most experienced and respected professionals in the block management industry.

Selling your home is a big life moment. It’s exciting, emotional, and, let’s be honest, a bit stressful too. One of the biggest questions sellers ask is, “What exactly am I paying an estate agent for?” With so many different selling routes available today, from traditional estate agents to online agents and fast-sale companies, it’s easy to feel unsure about which path to choose.

As part of its wide-ranging leasehold reform agenda, the government has made clear its intention to breathe life into commonhold – a model that offers flat owners ownership of all shared areas, a perpetual title and collective control over their buildings. With a new Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill on the horizon, there is an expectation that commonhold will become mandatory for all new-build flats.

With an average of 87,000 home sales taking place during the month of December, Property DriveBuy has compiled practical advice for those due to complete this festive season, a time already known for being one of the busiest and most emotionally charged periods of the year. Despite this bringing the potential for a more stressful move, the analysis also reveals that there are actually significant advantages to making the big move around Christmas.