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.

Independent living residents celebrate 12 years at Oak Tree House

A landmark independent living scheme in Tilehurst is celebrating its 12th birthday, and around 50 people came together to celebrate the special occasion.   Oak Tree House opened in early 2012 and provides people aged 55 and over with a secure, comfortable, and sociable place to live. Residents can receive extra care as and when they need it, which helps them lead healthy, fulfilled lifestyles for longer while maintaining their independence.  The scheme’s anniversary event was an opportunity to reflect on

ASK unlocking real estate investment liquidity via its secondary market

Specialist property lender, ASK Partners (ASK), today announces that more than £45 million invested in commercial and residential real estate debt has been exchanged via its secondary market platform. The company has developed its own unique digital private wealth platform which has created the choice and liquidity traditionally not available to investors in this asset class. The platform, which is open to certified high-net-worth investors, is currently used by an exclusive network of individuals and fam

Spike strengthens its presence in the property management sector by being awarded The Property Institute (TPI) partner status

Spike is delighted to announce it has been awarded TPI partner status and will work closely with the Institute and its members to tackle the major challenges the property management sector is facing. TPI (formerly ARMA, IRPM) is the leading professional body for residential property management in England and Wales. With over 335 managing agent members collectively managing 55,000 blocks, 1.5 million homes, and over £1bn in client funds each year, TPI is renowned for promoting best practices, providing inv

Wondrwall Launches Funded Renewable Technology for Newbuilds, Removing Barriers to Net Zero Energy Housebuilding at Scale

Intelligent home technology provider, Wondrwall, has launched Energy Service Contracts (ESC), a funded model enabling all new build homes to be net zero energy from build, without incremental costs to the housebuilder or homeowner. In an industry-first, Wondrwall ESC provides housebuilders access to thousands of pounds worth of renewable technology at no additional cost, keeping build costs down in an environment where skills shortages, material prices, and land values are all increasing development costs

Start-up surveying firm builds new team

Less than 6 months after relocating to the creative buzz of the Custard Factory, Chartered surveying firm Space Building Surveyors are creating a buzz of their own with their first official team hire.  The bold, straight-talking firm run by Toby Bowser and Stephen Seeney, have welcomed Kerrie Bisla to the team as part of ambitious growth plans and their mission to be the go-to niche building surveying practice in the West Midlands.   Kerrie, who has taken on the role of Building Surveyor and is determined

Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill - what promise will be broken next?

On Wednesday 27th March, the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill had its second reading in the House of Lords and industry expert, Linz Darlington, MD of lease extension specialists, Homehold, has shared his thoughts and asks ‘what promise will be broken next?’ Highlights of his comment include: “As Lord Kennedy pointed out, no clarity has been provided on when changes to lease extensions would come into effect. This means the Bill could be passed, but leaseholders could potentially have to wait for years

Government can meet 2050 net zero target but construction sector needs more skills investment – say project managers in APM survey

Nine in 10 project managers working in the construction sector are confident the UK government will meet its 2050 net zero target, according to a new survey by the Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered membership organisation for the project profession. But 70% highlighted concerns over the profession’s pipeline talent to sustain the delivery of net zero projects – adding to growing calls for urgent action to tackle the skills gap across the sector. It comes after new figures showed UK e

London’s empty homes could be worth £50bn — here are the worst-offending boroughs

Property experts at SBA Property Management have revealed the London boroughs with the highest number of vacant properties amid a worsening shortage of homes in the nation’s capital.  The research, which draws on data from all 33 local government authorities, shows that 87,763 houses stood empty across London in 2023. The total value of these properties is worth an estimated £50 billion, with a quarter of the city’s empty homes concentrated in just five boroughs.  The news comes at a time of increasing de

ARL calls on BTR sector to road test new Code of Practice

The Association for Rental Living (ARL) – formerly known as the UKAA (UK Apartment Association) - has today introduced principles for a new Build to Rent Code of Practice that will be road tested by the sector to refine their implementation. As the representative body for the institutionally backed, purpose-built rental living sector including Build to Rent (BTR), ARL members and wider stakeholder groups asked the organisation in late 2022 to develop a Code of Practice for the sector on their behalf which

Keesource have taken on new premises within a beautiful location in Hertfordshire

Due to expansion, Keesource have taken on new premises within a beautiful location in Hertfordshire.  We are delighted to inform you that we are moving to a new office location as of 1st March 2024.  Our new address will be Broxbournebury Mansion, White Stubbs Ln, Broxbourne EN10 7PY Thanks to our wonderful clients, we have outgrown our current workplace and have found a space that matches our ambition. If you have any questions about the move, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 0203 145 075

Ban on the creation of new leasehold houses and the Leasehold & Freehold Reform Bill

Banning the sale of new leasehold houses had been trailed in the King’s Speech; a press release later issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities  announcing The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill stated that the Bill would include provisions “Banning the sale of new leasehold houses so that, other than in exceptional circumstances, every new house in England and Wales will be freehold from the outset.  These proposals were not present in the Bill as originally submitted, nor were p

Key Lettings and Property Management Expelled from The Property Ombudsman for Failure to Fulfil Award

Key Lettings and Property Management, based in Kent, has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) following their failure to comply with an adjudicated award totalling £3,100. This expulsion comes as a result of Key Lettings and Property Management's negligence in resolving a complaint filed by a landlord, where several breaches of best practice were identified. The complaint encompassed a range of issues, including failure to register deposits, outstanding rent, failure to provide relevant documen

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