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The last five years have seen a tumultuous shift to the landscape of fire safety regulations in the UK. Following the catastrophic fire at Grenfell Tower, the government announced an independent review of the existing fire and building regulatory framework. This review highlighted the clear lack of enforcement and repercussions to those responsible for buildings that didn’t comply with the mandatory requirements, which were minimal at best. Since the mid-1980s, building regulations in the UK have been con

Industry collaboration responds to customer demand for more efficient property management systems Grosvenor Systems has today announced a tie-up with Xenith to provide a bespoke property management solution that will boost efficiency savings for customers, spanning property managers, owners, block managers and managing agents. The solution has been designed specifically for users of Propman, Grosvenor Systems’ leading property management and accounting system. By incorporating Xenith’s document managem

Painting is, in some ways, an activity that allows us to be more environmentally conscious. It allows materials to be upcycled and extend the life of certain elements of a property. A simple refresh is far less wasteful than replacing timber window frames, for example. However, if we are not making the right product decisions when decorating - we could still be damaging the environment in other ways. Many standard paints contain harmful chemicals and pollutants which can have a damaging effect on the plan

Home proud people are being encouraged to make changes to help small rooms in their homes look and feel bigger. Experts from Online-Bedrooms.co.uk have put together their top tips to create the illusion of space in snug rooms.. The average size of a home in the UK and across the world has shrunk and many of us will have at least one room in our home that is smaller than the rest. Decorating it can be a challenge. The experts suggest keeping the room feeling light and airy by using light colours and materi

The site of a proposed housing development in Cradley Heath, with a price tag starting at £450,000, will be among the star commercial lots tempting bidders at Bond Wolfe’s next auction on Thursday 15 September. Planning permission has been granted for 13 two-bedroomed apartments and two three-bedroomed houses on the one acre site. This freehold residential development opportunity is adjacent to the Compton Grange care home and borders Whitehall Road and St Annes Road in Cradley Heath. It is listed for auc

Our industry has long been criticised for its negative impact on the environment. From the emissions created by large building sites, to the mountains of unused or damaged materials produced daily, it is no wonder people are calling for a rethink in the way we're managing waste in construction. In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at how the majority of the industry currently goes about it and highlight some of the differences between large and small-scale projects. It's becoming more and more crit

Team members at Principle Estate Management were involved in the hugely successful Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games which relied on thousands of volunteers to make it a success. The property management specialists with offices in Birmingham and London has a vision to “positively impact the everyday lives of our communities”, and staff are actively encouraged to take part in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Operations director Stephanie Jobson said: “We offer an extra day of leave per ye

A survey carried out by Landlord Action, housing law specialist and part of the Hamilton Fraser Group, has revealed that 26 per cent ¹ of landlords who have issued a Section 21 notice of eviction to their tenants in the last 12 months have done so because they plan to sell their property. Similarly, 24 per cent of those who plan to evict their tenants in the next 12-18 months, say they will do so because the increasing legislative burden means they have decided to sell. The survey asked landlords whether

The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC) claims that the way people communicate along with their expectations from employment is changing.  As a result, the recruitment process must be altered to better appeal to today’s TikTok generation which typically values quick and direct online information, flexible working, sustainable credentials and more incentives.   The AIIC argues that today’s generation is used to video and online content that is easy to digest. Recruitment issues can be overco

Homeowners who rented out properties during the Commonwealth Games are being reminded by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of their tax responsibilities.   Visitors from across the world flocked to Birmingham and the West Midlands region, making it their home for the 10-day festival of sport that ended on 8 August 2022.   Those who rented out properties during the Games as a short-term let may need to tell HMRC about any income they have received, by filing a Self Assessment tax return.   To help ensure homeo

B-hive Block Management Partners has been chosen by the former Vice Chair of the IRPM and current Director of The Property Institute (TPI), Samantha Massey, to launch her own block and estate management venture, SAMAS Property Management. Sam is a fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the cofounder of Doyenne, ambassadors pioneering for women in the residential property market. Sam is no stranger to ground-breaking efforts in block and estate management and the launch of her new

New dates have today been released for an event which is a highlight of the property management industry calendar – the Oxford weekender. The next residential weekend conference offered by Property Management Legal Services, in partnership with the Institute of Residential Property Management (now part of The Property Institute), has been confirmed as taking place from March 31-April 2, 2023. Once again the prestigious event will return to the tranquil surroundings of St Hugh’s College, Oxford. Next year