Featured Articles

Issue 126 of News on the Block has now been published and is available for subscribers to read online now.  This issue includes a special Enfranchisement & Right to Manage Award winners feature and includes some of the following articles.  Landlords to spend big to meet EPC requirements How do we attract the next generation? Challenges of complying with the new safety act Your duties as a new freeholder  Enriching lives on our doorstep and beyond  Welcome to the new breed of security professionals

Leading managing agent Rendall & Rittner has recently appointed Mike Poshteh as Utilities Team Manager. With over 80,000 residential properties nationally, Mike’s appointment will enhance the company’s ability to procure sustainable and cost-effective utility solutions for the developments it manages and ultimately its customers and clients. With almost 10 years of experience, Mike brings an assortment of specialist subject knowledge to the role. Mike previously worked as an Operations Manager at Alfa Ene

More than 100 firefighters attended special exercises at a seven-storey apartment block that Principle Estate Management looks after in a Somerset coastal town. The training events took place at Portishead Marina, which houses scores of residents who enjoy spectacular views of both the Marina Lock gates plus the sea beyond. Adrian Archer, a senior property manager at Principle, explained how the exercises were planned as part of the ongoing care and attention for residents whose properties are about to ha

The latest research by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, reveals that solo buyers in the capital need to increase their income by as much as 214% in some boroughs if they want to be in with a chance of securing a mortgage in the current market. Benham and Reeves looked at just how much more a solo buyer needs to earn in each borough in order to purchase a property based on: - The current average house price in each borough. The current average earnings of those residing within that b

Amid an ongoing shortage of homes and rising rents, perhaps the biggest housing headache for the government is how to stop landlords leaving the private rented sector (PRS). Rising interest rates, changes in tax, and other regulatory reforms have all combined to make landlords think twice about remaining in business. Accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young, using data from HMRC, estimated that 70,000 buy-to-let landlords exited the PRS last year and 116,000 rental properties were lost to the sector. And figures

The transformation of one of Birmingham’s historic gun factories has been unveiled for the first time in new images released by developer Elevate Property Group. The derelict Gunsmith House now offers sumptuous luxury and stylish living in the former gun factory while preserving the character of an area that was at the centre of the world’s gun making industry. The Price Street property has been transformed into three luxury apartments as part of a wider £23m development which will see a further 82 brand

On 25th July 2023, the Ministry of Justice announced that mediation will become a compulsory step for specified money claims of up to £10,000 in value, which covers approximately 80% of all small claims, and plans to introduce the legislation for this in this Parliament. This is higher than the Civil Justice Council’s report in January 2021, which recommended mandating mediation for cases up to £500. The Government anticipates extending the scheme to personal injury and unspecified money claims in the fut

New figures show the top five locations where properties are currently selling quicker than anywhere else in the UK. Homes in Paddington, West London are selling fastest at three weeks under the national average. According to a report by The ValPal Network, transactions for homes in West Paddington postcodes are now completed in, on average,198 days - 21 days quicker than the UK average. The ValPal Network, which works with 800 estate and letting agency brands across the country, found a number of areas c

Every Japanese knotweed plant in the UK derives from one single plant that was brought here from Japan by Philip von Siebold in 1850. He was unaware of the environmental impact this plant would go on to have. The rest as they say – is history! So here are the main reasons this plant is now a huge problem for residents and property management across the UK: 1. Cost Japanese knotweed treatment and management costs the economy millions of pounds every year. A DEFRA analysis estimated an astonishing country-

Which Fire Risk Assessment is suitable for your needs? What are the misconceptions around FRA’s? We have created a 12 page e-document on this subject alone which is available to download at the end of this page.     Who are we? Fire Safety Consult Limited, A trusted partner in the field of fire safety, gaining steady traction with managing agents in and around London.  We are a female led dynamic and innovative company, bringing a fresh perspective and expert advice to clients who are in need of top

The latest research by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, reveals that homebuyers who want a room with a view in London are facing house price premium of up to 140%. Benham and Reeves has analysed asking prices for London properties listed with the allure of a ‘good view’ to see how they compare to the wider price of purchasing a property across the capital. A ‘good view’ might entail cityscapes, riversides or, in more suburban boroughs, green space.  The data shows that a property liste

Living in a happy home can extend beyond the front door as more people seek the benefits of living within a thriving community or neighbourhood.  As a property manager, each development we manage presents an opportunity to work at the very heart of communities.  This starts on-site and extends to the wider local communities that our developments are part of. It involves property managers engaging with RMCs and working collaboratively with them so that we can respond quicker and more effectively to custome