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When it comes to driving a car, don’t assume that all drivers are good, don’t second guess what other drivers might do or be capable of doing, and be prepared to take appropriate action. And when it comes to fire safety, façade remediation and construction oversight, those of us tasked with policing what actually goes on on-site have to adopt a robust and forensic methodology such that assuming not everyone knows how to drive properly, is probably not a bad thing.  The point I am driving at here of course

PayProp, an automated rental payment provider, has predicted that letting agents will need to focus extra hard on client retention amid growing economic hardship.  Meanwhile, ongoing changes in the lettings industry – including planned reforms to the private rented sector contained in the ‘A fairer private rented sector’ White Paper – are expected to see growing numbers of landlords leaving the sector.  To counteract this, PayProp claims, agents will need to provide a high quality of service to keep clien

Where tenants occupied an unlicensed HMO property, which was in a state of disrepair, and having raised complaints about the conduct of the landlord, how should rent repayment be calculated? Trainee Solicitor Lauren Walker of JB Leitch Solicitors reviews a recent Upper Tribunal case which serves to illustrate that reviewing procedures and obligations is an important part of ensuring compliance with HMO and RRO legislation. The background In Simpson House 3 Ltd v Osserman and others [2022], tenancy of a fl

The case of Martlet Homes Limited -v- Mulalley and Co Limited [2022] is the first since the Grenfell Tower disaster to address liability for fire safety defects (defective cladding, mainly) in high-rise buildings. Martlet Homes Limited were successful in both their primary case against Mulalley in respect of Mulalley’s defective workmanship in the installation of the cladding system as well as their alternative case regarding the specification of the EPS insulation.  The finding made by the Technology and

Leaseholders, Freeholders and Agents can gain an insight into one of the most fundamentally contentious areas of leasehold ownership during a free webinar hosted by legal firm Bishop & Sewell.     The online webinar ‘Leasehold Question Time – Service Charges’ will take place on Tuesday 6 September 2022 at 5pm.     Delivered by Charles Jamieson, from the Dispute Resolution team, the webinar will be a ‘back to basics’ refresher for leaseholders and freeholders on the demand and recoverability of ser

As soon as I heard about the Hollie Gazzard Trust, I immediately knew that I had to reach out.   Aged just 20 years old, Hollie Gazzard was murdered at her place of work, in Gloucester on February 18th 2014, by her boyfriend, after months of obsessive behaviour, jealousy, and harassment. Whilst it must still be painful to talk about how his daughter sadly lost her life, her father, Nick Gazzard recognises the importance of raising awareness so that other abusive relationships can be recognised and stopped

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