Featured Articles

When buying a leasehold apartment in the UK, there are several key things that you should check to ensure that the property is a good investment and that the terms of the lease are fair and reasonable. Some of the things you should check include: The length of the lease: The lease will specify the length of time that you have the right to live in the apartment. In most cases, the lease will be for a fixed term of several years, but it can also be a renewable lease or a lease for the remainder of the lan

We hear so much about the cost of living ‘crisis’ and increases in intangibles, like insurance premiums, are perhaps the hardest to explain.  In the insurance market people often talk about “hikes” rather than “rises”, and leaseholders can feel they are left with no choice because paying their share of the buildings insurance premium will almost certainly be mandatory under the terms of their lease.  Property managers who manage blocks on behalf of clients, and the directors of Resident Management Compani

2022 has been a challenging year for block managers and lessees. Coming out of the pandemic, after a year of being ‘confined to quarters’, and a surge in DIY projects during 2020 and 2021, on hold plans to move home or refurbish were again crushed by the perfect storm of surging inflation, wage stagnation/real income reduction, interest rate rises and construction cost increases which have not been seen since the 1980s and 1990s.  The decade of low-cost borrowing is officially over.  In 2021 the UK govern

QUESTION Can you please advise if emergency lighting is a legal requirement in the common parts of blocks of flats and who is responsible for maintaining it? ANSWER The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO) 2005, which came into force in October 2006, charges the responsible person in control of non-domestic premises and the common areas of a House in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) with the safety of everyone in the building, whether working, visiting or living there. This duty of care inclu

Homeowners up and down the country are future-proofing their homes in a response to the cost-of-living crisis.  The social media movement features several inventive, eco-friendly home improvements from wall insulation to rain barrels which are saving Britons a few precious pennies as well as the planet.  This fits with recent findings from Halifax which show that over a fifth of people making home improvements are doing so to improve energy efficiency. This is increasingly important as energy bills soar a

Those across the property sector have for decades outsourced certain functions of their business in order to streamline their internal teams and reap the benefits of lower costs, improved efficiencies, and greater flexibility.  Whether it be bookkeeping and payroll or property maintenance and IT support, this adoption of remote ‘expertise’ became increasingly relied upon during – and since - the Covid pandemic as businesses across the industry were forced to move their operations to a virtual world.  And

WHAT IS LICENCE? Under most residential leases a tenant is required to obtain consent from the landlord and/or the management company before making any alterations to his/her property. It's a simple process which is also known as “An Application for a Licence for Alterations”.    Whether or not consent (a licence to alter) is required will be determined by (i) the scope of works and (ii) what the lease says.  In most leases, the landlord will place a restriction on the extent of alteration, extension or o

2022 has certainly provided a dizzyingly rapid series of political, social and economic changes.  Within the last quarter alone, the country has a new Prime Minister, Chancellor and seen the re-appointment of Michael Gove at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). Alongside these, the energy crisis, rising interest rates and volatility in the markets continue to add strain to businesses and households.  The year has also brought significant change through the introduction of new

A study by FirstPort looking at the future of retirement living reveals that one in three (30%) people over 55 would consider having a housemate in later life to save money and avoid living alone.   Proving that best friends are forever, almost a third (31%) of the 2,000 over 55-year-olds polled said they would be open to moving in with a friend in retirement, with more than one in six (18%) admitting that they’d rather live with friends than family. An adventurous 4% said they’d consider renting with a c

Domestic abuse affects many people. If you need help, you can seek support from the helplines listed  at the bottom.  Managing a block of flats is much more than looking after the bricks and mortar. This is home to many and provides feelings of safety and security. Sadly however, home is often the most dangerous place for people experiencing domestic abuse.  Domestic abuse is widespread and dangerous. In England and Wales, the police take on average 100 calls per hour related to domestic abuse, and two wo

LifeProven, the newly expanded and repositioned ESG consultancy for the built environment, has launched the ‘Real Estate Wellbeing Metric’ with major BTR Operator VervLife, providing the industry’s first solution to accurately measure the ‘S’ benefit of real estate in ESG.  The metric will provide VervLife and other clients such as Dandi Living, Vinci, Segro with data-driven insights as how their buildings best be designed and operated to maximise the wellbeing of their occupants, both mitigating the risk

The data allows business leaders across the Build to Rent sector to make well-informed decisions when paying employees. deverellsmith, the London based recruitment talent solutions partner for the property industry, announced that it has released the UK’s first Multifamily Salary Guide in partnership with SAY. Build to Rent is one of the fastest growing sectors within real estate, yet one of the newest to market. Compared to other areas which have a deep talent pool of experienced professionals to source