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Changes to Right to Rent that will affect landlords and letting agents have already happened with further ones fast approaching. Openview – Powered by VTUK urge that, with the use of automation, other parts of businesses can be simplified and this will ensure Right to Rent changes will not impact the smooth-running of companies.  The UK government ended all restrictions imposed to diminish the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on Monday July 19 2021, with the return of face-to-face Right to Rent checks for

Property management company MetroPM has won another prestigious contract in Birmingham. The firm, which has offices in Birmingham and Cheltenham, has been appointed to manage Altitude Apartments, a mixed use scheme in the Jewellery Quarter. Altitude Apartments, on Powell Street, was built in 2006, comprises both commercial offices and residential apartments – in total 32 units. The development has secure upper and lower basement parking. MetroPM director Ian Smallman said: “We were very pleased to be appr

Principle Estate Management has appointed a senior building surveyor to head a new department that will bring long-term maintenance and major works in-house. Richard Coles has joined Principle from Blacksons Chartered Surveyors, where he was associate director. He had previously worked as a chartered surveyor at Gleeds and Cushman & Wakefield, following his initial training to become a member of the RICS at Lambert Smith Hampton. Joe Jobson, a director at Principle, said that the business now had four cha

UK: strategic property consultancy business Cluttons bucked the trend in lockdown and has launched a northern hub with a team of experts based in Manchester.  The office, based on King Street in the City, is led by partner Charlie Ardern who joined the company from Avison Young following 13 years at Knight Frank and will also lead the company’s northern valuation practice.   Charlie is working alongside partner Ryan Jones who also joined from Avison Young’s Manchester office with 17 years’ experience in t

Promising an enhanced resident experience and a smarter, more efficient building operation, the new partnership between Fixflo and Spike Global will deliver a seamless property communication and maintenance management solution for BTR residents and property managers alike. Industry-leading resident engagement and building management software provider Spike Global and specialist repairs and maintenance management software provider, Fixflo have announced an integration partnership designed to provide a comp

Two of the largest property management bodies for the profession have announced that they will be asking members to back plans to merge. Leaders at the Institute of Residential Property Management (IRPM) and Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA) say they want to establish a united and stronger voice for the industry. They believe that a merger would give them greater power and help support both managing agent firms and individuals as the profession faces increasing changes and new legislation.

FirstPort, the UK’s leading residential property services provider, has appointed Christian Phipps as its new Sustainability Manager - a brand-new role for the organisation.  The creation of this role signals FirstPort’s commitment to consider and react to the environmental impact of its work across the 290,000 developments it manages, as well as how best to collaborate with residents and wider communities to make a difference.  Christian joins FirstPort following an extensive career at Veolia, holding a

Birmingham-based Principle Estate Management, has won another major contract to look after a prestigious new development of 36 luxury apartments in Moseley which is currently under construction. The development named Oakview will be taken into management this year and consists of a three and four storey block at 37-43 Wake Green Road. During the construction period Principle has been advising on the structure of leases, the apportionment and level of service charges and advising on design – highlighting l

A lot can change in ten years. In July 2011, David Cameron was leading the coalition government, One Direction was yet to reach the top of the singles chart and Fabio Capello was managing the England football team. Yet, throughout the monumental shifts that the last decade has seen in national life, the partnership between the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) and Lloyd’s accredited, independent insurance broker, Kerry London, has gone from strength to strength. The Association

NOTB caught up with Liam McAvoy, Managing Director at Hyperoptic as part of our recent Prop Tech feature.  Your background and how Hyperoptic began Hyperoptic was founded in 2011 by Dana Tobak with her business partner, Boris Ivanovic. Previous to Hyperoptic, they started and managed Be Broadband in 2005/6, prior to its acquisition by O2. Be was the first to launch ADSL 2+ in the UK and offer Annex M for an increased upload speed. But they knew then that copper-based technologies would never truly deliver

Issue 114 has now been published and is available for subscribers to read now.  This issues includes a special Prop Tech feature and includes some of the following articles:  Leaseholders’ hope after government intervention ALEP to hold conference online again Are desktop RCAs a false economy? Meet the managing agent matchmaker PropTech feature sponsored by Hyperoptic  All you need to know about prop tech - Richard Berridge guest editor, introduces this feature  Our ambition is to maintain gold standa

Agents should get ready for the stamp duty holiday end date in September well in advance to ensure that fall-throughs and chain breakdowns are kept to a minimum.   That’s according to HBB Solutions, which argues that agents need a plan B in case things start to go wrong as the end of the stamp duty holiday nears and the expected market dip arrives after it ceases.  Not all transactions will complete in time  While the first stage of the stamp duty holiday ended on June 30, lowering the nil rate thresh