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.

New property inspector for Principle’s south-east expansion

Principle Estate Management has appointed an experienced property expert to support its recent growth into the south-east of England. Tony Rozario’s new role as property inspector was created after the number of developments the Birmingham-based company manages across the country reached more than 200 – with many of these in and around London. Mr Rozario has more than 13 years of experience in the property sector in London and the south-east working on everything from inspections to inventories, creating

Urban Village Capital overcomes lockdown challenges to complete £14m luxury apartment development

Birmingham-based Urban Village Capital has overcome the obstacles of lockdown to deliver full completion of its latest luxury £14m apartment development. Knight's House, a stunning nine-floor former office block in affluent Sutton Coldfield, features a total of 63 apartments - including 12 penthouses, and continues the company's upward spiral and ambition to be a major player in the private rental sector. Having announced practical completion in November, Urban Village Group has had to negotiate the issue

Is it a case of COVID19 v CLADDING20?

So far, 2020 has certainly been a time of massive change, with a key shift toward focussing on the health of our staff and loved ones, and no-one can deny that it's been a tough year to date for everyone! As managing agents, property management is essential for the health and safety of buildings and residents. Our work has had to continue as much as possible to the same standards as our customers expect, and with a few changes to the way we operate, backed by reliable contractors, it has been a relatively

REFLECTING ON THREE DECADES OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

This month marks thirty years since Duncan Rendall and Matt Rittner founded their residential property management company, Rendall & Rittner. It has grown to become a market leading independent business, responsible for a growing portfolio that currently stands at 70,000 units. Despite the backdrop of current challenging circumstances, the business continues to develop and, with its network of regional offices across the UK, Rendall & Rittner is fast achieving its goal of becoming a truly national company

Co-living developer secures £6.4m funding deal

Funding of £6.4 million has been secured by The Studios24 - the first company to deliver a major co-living development in the Midlands - it was announced yesterday.   Cynergy Bank has agreed the refinance package for the London-based property company’s £12.5 million residential development in Wolverhampton.   The Studios24 has transformed a dilapidated 12-storey office building into one of the UK’s leading co-living developments. The £12.5 million project, at Birch Street, recently reached practical compl

Principle’s latest contract

A national ground rent investor has asked Principle Estate Management to look after six stunning apartments in a grade II-listed building overlooking the River Thames.   The units in the converted historical building at Richmond Hill in Richmond, Surrey, which are opposite Buccleuch Gardens and overlook Petersham Meadows, are each worth nearly £2 million.   They are just a few of a portfolio across seven locations in a new contract from Simarc Property Management Ltd, the management arm of the Wallace Gro

No worries over delay to leasehold law changes, Thursfields says

No-one should be concerned about a delay in the simplification of rules surrounding leaseholders’ rights to buy or extend their leases, according to Thursfields Solicitors. The leading Midlands law firm said that a long-awaited update on what’s known as leasehold enfranchisement has been put back by COVID-19. But experts at Thursfields said they had been involved in detailed consultations with the Law Commission over the changes and would be ready to act on them as soon as they are announced. The review i

Huge contract for Principle to manage 30-plus developments across UK

One of the biggest asset managers of leasehold properties has appointed Principle Estate Management to look after 34 sites stretching across seven UK regions.   The huge new contract involving 1,317 units has been awarded by Estates & Management (E&M), in addition to the 12 sites and 266 units already in management.   Principle, based in Birmingham, has become the UK’s fastest growing residential estate manager, and this latest appointment means it’s now looking after some 6,000 units across the country j

Mobius Building Consultancy introduces new Associate Director, Joseph Skinnard

Mobius Building Consultancy has appointed Joseph Skinnard as an Associate Director.  Joseph has been recruited to lead the company’s Dilapidations and Project Management service lines.  He brings a wealth of experience in the Building Surveying sector having worked in the commercial team at Lambert Smith Hampton. Joseph has long been a target for Mobius Building Consultancy, having a formidable track record of working for large commercial clients including major pension funds, REITs and public sector enti

ALEP Protocol for Service of Initial Notices and Counter Notices During Covid-19 Pandemic

During the current lockdown and pandemic, an issue at the forefront of the minds of enfranchisement practitioners has been the service of initial notices of claims under section 13 and section 42 of the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 (“the Act”), and counter notices under sections 21 and 45 of the Act. In practice, enfranchisement practitioners have been, for the most part, agreeing that service by email is acceptable.  Given the lockdown, some professional offices are closed and

Can leaseholders of a house acquire the freehold despite their ownership not including the roof and foundations?

This case concerned the lease of an end-of-terrace house that did not give the leaseholders ownership (demise) of the structure i.e. load bearing walls, roof and foundations. To qualify for the right to acquire the freehold title under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 (to enfranchise) they had to be “a tenant of a leasehold house” (s.1(1)). That phrase was interpreted as requiring them to be “a tenant of substantially the whole of a leasehold house”. They did not meet this test as their the ownership (demise

Limiting our Carbon Footprint Post-COVID-19 Lockdown

On first thought finding any positives to be gleaned from a global pandemic which has so far claimed more than 200,000 lives worldwide and decimated the economic climate to an extent not witnessed since records began may have proven to be a near impossible task… However, on further reflection, deep amid the destruction caused by Covid-19 there may be some silver lining illuminating from what can only be described as an extremely dark scenario.  For instance, Covid-19 has in many cases proved a catalyst fo

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