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The UK’s fastest growing property management company has been admitted to full membership of its respected trade body ARMA – the Association of Residential Managing Agents. Principle Estate Management was founded in Birmingham by former ARMA chairman Brett Williams in Spring 2018 but was not then able to apply for Associate Membership of ARMA due to membership application restrictions. After an invitation to apply for full membership late last year, followed by a detailed and thorough vetting process, Pri

70% of Resident Directors currently spend ten hours or less a month on their role, but leasehold reform and industry changes (such as the effects of the draft Building Safety Bill) could increase this if Directors don’t have access to the support they need. 61% are currently employed, and at least a third (33%) are involved in additional responsibilities outside of work or their role as a Resident Director, such as sitting as board and committee members, or acting as school governors, charity trustees and

A top enfranchisement solicitor has warned that leaseholders affected by the cladding scandal face years of misery, and that the Government’s recently announced £3.5 billion support package falls far short of what is required to address fire safety defects in the UK’s property sector.  Earlier this month the Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, announced up to £3.5 billion worth of grants to remove unsafe cladding from high-rise blocks of flats, in a policy intended to support the hundreds of thousands o

Issue 111 of News on the Block has now been published and is available for subscribers to read now. This issues includes some of the following articles:  New ground rent rights for leaseholders Residents ‘trapped’ in dangerous apartments  Don’t let Licence to Alter drive you up the wall Forfeiture for unauthorised use  Will 2021 be the year of the consumer? Don’t let lockdown hold you back The law that’s often misunderstood! Knowing your section 20 law Law changes will bring huge leasehold

Moda and Sisk release commemorative video to mark the milestone moment at The Mercian, Birmingham’s tallest residential tower at 42-storeys  Moda’s MDs, Mayor Andy Street & the team at Sisk are among those featured in the virtual topping out, an iconic celebration of a new Birmingham landmark despite 2020’s challenges  The new neighbourhood which opens in 2022, will raise the bar for renting in the city with best-in-class, accessible living    Moda Living, the UK's fastest growing developer and operato

Ahead of the changes to Electrical Safety Standards in April, property specialists, Bramleys have shared guidance with landlords in the UK. According to recent research led by ARLA Propertymark, 50% of letting agents surveyed in September 2020 had more than 60 tenancies that will require every fixed electrical installation at the property to be inspected and tested by April this year.   From 1 April 2021, all existing specified private tenancies will need to comply with the new Electrical Safety Standar

David Hockaday has been appointed Managing Director of retirement property management specialist Millstream Management Services. An independent arm of the Churchill Retirement Group, Millstream manages over 200 developments across the country, providing management services to over 10,000 retired people daily. David will lead Millstream’s strategic direction and oversee its ambitious growth plans, including the rollout of its recently launched Careline Support business, which already provides a direct 24/7

Cladding and its impact on enfranchisement will be the subject of the upcoming annual Spring Lecture delivered by the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP). The lecture will take place online in two 90-minute sessions over the course of Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 March. Both days will begin at 3pm and consist of a lecture and a Q&A session. The lecture will be hosted by ALEP Director, Mark Chick and ALEP has brought together a host of industry experts to speak about the impact of c

House prices have raised the roof in the December ONS house price index, buoyed by the pandemic-induced stamp duty holiday and the nation's need to live AND work at home.     Lee Pickett, a housing sector specialist and real estate partner at global legal business, DWF, comments as the December ONS figures are released today. He said: "The UK's annual house price growth is at the highest level since late 2014, with today's data showing an increase of 8.5 per cent over the year to December 2020. This means

Katie joins Bellharbour as a new Associate Director in charge of business development. She comes from Rendall & Rittner and Harrods Estates Asset Management where she was Associate Director of Commercial Property and Associate Director of Operations respectively. She is bringing with her 20 years of experience in Real Estate as a vital member of those Property Management teams. Katie has managed a large number of fund management, private and overseas clients with a mixed-use and nationwide portfolio. Si

A rise in licensing activity from local authorities in recent months could uphold high standards without making it more difficult for landlords to remain compliant, says PayProp. The rental payment provider adds that updates and guidance relating to landlord licensing schemes are becoming an increasingly time-consuming part of a letting agency's management service, while presenting an opportunity to increase their value proposition. Councils press ahead with licensing changes Despite the impact of the pan

Taylor&Emmet LLP is marking Empty Homes Week (February 15-21) by offering free training to the public sector, via a virtual platform. The sessions are being provided by the firm’s specialist inheritance tracing and empty homes team, which helps organisations address legal issues arising from empty homes. Taylor&Emmet’s experts will highlight the legal options available to empty homes practitioners and professionals, when faced with deceased, missing or incapacitated property owners. Ben Brown, who heads u