Featured Articles

Get the answers to your questions and stay up to date about apartment building management with our featured articles and NOTB guides, on topics such as service charges, right to manage, buying your freehold, major works, building insurance and other issues about blocks of flats.

Check out this handy e-doc for Fire Risk Assessments

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

London homebuyers faced with 140% price premium for a room with a view

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

How community can enrich lives on our doorstep and beyond

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

Why BTR Landlords Must be Hot on Fire Door Compliance in Inventories and Routine Inspections

Fire safety compliance has featured high on the agenda for property providers since Grenfell and the subsequent changes to the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. Whilst the impetus may have come from older building stock, build-to-rent property providers must also mitigate fire risk for their tenants. Fire door safety One area in focus is fire doors, which play an essential part in the fire safety of multi-occupied residential buildings (HMOs). In residential buildings over 11 metres, whoever is desi

Halloween Frights Could Come Early with a Key Building Information Final Date of 28th October 2023

The Building Safety Act 2023 came into force in April this year and requires all high-rise residential buildings to be registered with the Building Safety Regulator by 30 September 2023.  It will be an offence to allow residents to occupy an unregistered building after this date.  Fundamentally, once a high-rise residential building is registered, the Key Building Information must be submitted to the Regulator within 28 days of registration.  THIS MEANS THE ABSOLUTE DEADLINE FOR THE SUBMISSION OF KEY BU

Landlord concerns over abolition of no fault evictions could see roof cave in on buy-to-let market

London law firm Bishop & Sewell LLP has seen a significant rise in enquiries from landlords seeking to sell their buy-to-let properties ahead of the eventual introduction of the Renters Reform Bill, which outlines the Government’s plans to outlaw ‘no fault’ evictions and bring an end to fixed term tenancies.    Under Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 landlords are currently allowed to evict tenants on periodic tenancies without providing a reason. However, the Renters Reform Bill will fulfil the Governme

Major recruitment at Principle Estate Management after London offices move to new premises

Principle Estate Management has continued to grow its presence in London with the start of a major recruitment campaign after moving to larger offices. Rachael Hornby has joined Principle as associate director to lead the London office and look after some of the company’s prime central London developments. Ms Hornby has joined from D&G Block Management, where she spent more than seven years looking after very similar types of properties to those managed by Principle’s London office. Before that, she worke

SO FLEXI LAUNCHES WITH FIRST RENT TO BUY HOMES IN SLOUGH

Affordable housing provider Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) has ventured into the rent to buy sector for the first time, with the launch of its dedicated ‘SO Flexi’ brand, operating as an offshoot of MTVH’s existing shared ownership arm, SO Resi. The very first scheme, SO Flexi Slough, will launch in August 2023, offering a selection of 55 one and two-bedroom apartments, all available to purchase with rent to buy. All brand-new apartments at SO Flexi Slough will be available to rent on a two-yea

Interest rate rise & call for cap on SVR rates to protect homeowners Statement from HomeOwners Alliance

Most economists think the Bank of England will raise the base rate for the fourteenth consecutive time on Thursday, by 0.25 percentage points. Fingers crossed that a less aggressive rate rise will fuel better mortgage rates being made available to homeowners needing to remortgage. This trend has already started following better-than-expected inflation figures for June which led to some lenders reducing their fixed rate mortgages. We'd like to see more follow suit in offering homeowners better options for

Welcoming Posy Spencer: A Valuable Addition to the Block Recruit Team!

The Block Recruit team is delighted to introduce you all to our newest team member, Posy Spencer! Since joining us in June, Posy has already proven to be an exceptional asset, making a remarkable start in her role. With her previous experience in recruitment within block management and a successful track record as a top Lettings Negotiator, we are excited to see her excel and achieve new heights with us! A Background in Recruitment and Property Posy comes to us with a strong background in the recruitm

Homes England have now confirmed that the Cladding Safety Scheme 11-18 is officially open.

Applying for this funding can be complex, stressful and time-consuming, however, SAY Property Consulting offer a professional service to help take away this headache, plus where applications are successful, it's at NO ADDITIONAL COST.   To date, SAY has helped to secure over £83m for clients and in doing so have ensured the safety of over 3,600 residents.  Find out more about their service: https://sayproperty.co.uk/cladding-safety-scheme   With a high volume of applications expected, we’re urging propert

Credit controller revives artistic skills to decorate walls at Principle’s headquarters

A credit controller at Principle Estate Management has fulfilled what were her original artistic ambitions by painting a total of five pictures for the company’s headquarters in Birmingham. Jodie Johnson’s works are based on nearby waterside scenes of the Gas Street basin, picturing bridges, barges and neighbouring buildings along the canals that meet in the city centre. Principle founder and joint managing director Brett Williams commissioned the acrylic paint on canvas pictures, which each measure 1m x

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