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.

Heylo Housing Selects MRI Software to Manage Exponential Property Portfolio Growth

MRI Software, a global leader in real estate solutions, announces that heylo housing, the UK’s leading part buy-part rent provider, has selected the MRI LivingTM software suite to manage its portfolio. The deployment of MRI Living allows heylo housing to leverage a comprehensive and flexible set of tools that encompass property management, sales and lettings, and resident portals, as well as MRI’s Fixed Asset Accounting and Strategic Planning solutions. Heylo, which has more than doubled its portfolio of

Fortus named NLG's sole service charge audit partner

Together, Fortus and CLAWS Consultants provide specialist Service Charge and accounting advice to the housing sector, and collaborate on a number of large-scale conferences, seminars, and training events for those involved in managing property. Commenting on the new partnership, Alan Wake AssocRICS FIRPM, CEO of the NLG and Managing Director at CLAWS Consultants said, “We’re very much ‘singing to the same tune’ – our purpose is aligned and we’re working to the same outcomes for our clients. Both Fortus an

To the Manor born – game, set and match to MetroPM

Residential property management company MetroPM has been appointed to look after 66 apartments on a site in the heart of Leamington Spa where lawn tennis was first played. Ian Smallman, director of MetroPM, said: “The Manor House is a wonderful development which we understand was built in circa 1840 and additional apartments were constructed to the rear of the development in 1960.” The original Manor House Hotel is renowned as the hotel where lawn tennis was first played. The game was originally called “P

Elevate appoints a trio of contractors to deliver £32m+ builds across the Midlands

Construction deals worth more than £32m have been signed in the Midlands after a trio of contractors were selected on behalf of Elevate Property Group. The Midlands’ leading independent developer, led by property entrepreneur Steve Dodd, has selected Kings Heath-based Kavanagh Construction to start work on the transformation of Imperial House in Solihull next month. It marks the start of construction on the final phase of Princes Gate project, with the development of ‘Imperial House’ comprising 60 luxury

Brilliant Solutions adds Proportunity to its lender panel

Today, proptech neolender, Proportunity, announces it will be added to the lender panel of mortgage club, Brilliant Solutions. Proportunity joining the panel means Brilliant Solutions’ members will now have access to Proportunity’s equity loan product, through which homebuyers can increase overall loan to income up to six times on a 5% deposit.   Rising interest rates, the current cost of living crisis and cautious lending from mortgage providers means getting access to the finance needed to get on the pr

Two New Hires For Jackson Sims' Concierge and Site Staff Team

We are pleased to introduce Franki Drummond and Scirin Razi, our two latest hires to our Concierge and Site Staff team, headed by James Brewer. Both Franki and Scirin have backgrounds in hospitality, which has allowed them to hit the ground running and make an impactful start in a team focused on customer service. The now five-strong Concierge and Site Staff team at Jackson Sims are arguably our busiest. If you need any help with staffing a property, holiday cover or emergency shifts, we are available 24/

Electric vehicle solutions business launched at property industry event

Key insights into the challenges of installing electric vehicle charging points into leasehold properties were presented at a top industry seminar.   The presentation, EV Charging Points, Legal and Practical Problems, was made by Alan Draper, Technical Director of start-up business EV Solutions Group and Roger Hardwick of Brethertons Solicitors at the Institute of Residential Property Management  (IRPM) event  attended by over 600 delegates.   It drew on a white paper Alan has written - Electric Vehicle C

Training shouldn’t be seen as a dirty word in property – it’s absolutely vital!

Training is too often neglected or an after-thought, with property professionals sometimes considering it demeaning and trivial. However, the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks claims it’s vitally important for personal development, building a reputation, and giving the industry a better name.   “In times of uncertainty like what we’ve experienced in the light of the global Covid-19 pandemic, training can be one of the first things that businesses cut back on because it’s deemed unnecessary to cu

OneDome hires big hitters to its Board in major push of its homebuying platform

OneDome, the challenger portal that aims to streamline the homebuying process and make homebuying significantly faster for all parties involved, has hired two new directors to its board. Tim Brooke Thom, a former Chairman of Monzo, the challenger bank, has joined the Board as a Non-executive director. Tim brings a wealth of experience in start-ups and scale ups, as well as large financial institutions.  From 2015 to 2019, Tim was Chairman and a board director of Monzo Bank, one of the largest fintech comp

CARTER JONAS SECURES BTR MANDATE ON BATH STUDENT ACCOMMODATION SCHEME

Carter Jonas’ Build to Rent (BTR) team has been appointed to deliver lettings and property management services on a 63-unit scheme of student accommodation at the Old Bakery Yard development in Twerton, Bath, on behalf of MCP Bath Ltd. MCP Bath is part an independent group of property companies with a proven track record of delivering award-winning, complex regeneration schemes. The group concentrates on mixed-use, leisure, residential and retail developments, usually on brownfield sites in the West Count

Leasehold Reforms - Leasehold house sale ban

This article looks at the status of the reforms announced so far around the sale of houses of a leasehold basis, ground rents in new leases, the fees payable by leaseholders for essential information needed on sale and the potential changes to the premium payable for a lease extension or freehold. Leasehold house sales ban, Zero ground rent & sale information – partially implemented In 2018 the then secretary of state for housing communities and local Government Sashid Javid announced a “crack down on unf

Leasehold Reform - the Right to Manage – should leaseholders wait?

Background  The Right to Manage (RTM) was introduced in 2002 giving flat owners a no fault right to collectively take over the management functions in respect of their building. No premium is payable.  Leaseholders, acting via an RTM company, can take control of services, repairs, maintenance, improvements, and insurance in respect of their building. It has provided a very useful alternative to collectively acquiring the freehold. A premium is payable for the freehold and the process is much longer. That

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