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Government plans to reform the leasehold system by reducing costs of extending residential property leases have been cautiously welcomed by Principle Estate Management. The leading property management company was commenting after Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick announced that new laws would help those on shorter leases who often face bills of many thousands of pounds. The proposed legislation will include allowing houses and flats to extend leases by 990 years at zero ground rent, a ground rent ban exten

The Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) has welcomed the announcement today (7 January 2021) as to the latest set of reforms to England's leasehold system.  However, the Association calls for clarity and further information regarding timescales, technical legal details and how changes will work in practice.   Mark Chick, Director of ALEP, said: "Today's news shows commitment from government to deliver changes in the residential leasehold sector and indicates intention to refo

The Post House, part of the Royal Mail’s former sorting centre operations, is located around two miles east of the city centre, fronting the roundabout junction for the A38 Eastern Avenue, Barnwood Road and Corinium Avenue The sought-after property contains 48 luxury apartments in Phase I and another nine in Phase II. Principle was instructed to look after the properties in Phase I by Pier Management Ltd, the management arm of RG Capital Partners Ltd, who bought the freehold from development partners Coun

Leading managing agent, Rendall & Rittner has appointed Sarah Williams as Area Director to oversee property management across one of their London divisions. An experienced residential property management professional, Sarah has specialised in the block management sector for over 16 years. She joins the company from Warwick Estates where she was an Associate Director responsible for five regional offices. Prior to that she worked for RMG, where she worked her way up gaining experience across the business.

Award winning housebuilder and one of the leading developers in London and the South East, Hill Group has appointed PR and communications company The Oracle Group, to help them drive their business forward.  With an ambitious five-year plan which seeks to establish the business in the top five construction companies in the UK, Hill has chosen the Surrey based property specialist to deliver corporate and sales PR and communications. Hill Group is the UK’s third largest privately owned housebuilder, with an

Directors at residential property management firm MetroPM have welcomed a government decision to extend the deadline for applications to the Building Safety Fund for 31 December 2020 to 30 June 2021. Similarly, the deadline for a start on site for remedial works has been extended from 31 March 2021 to 30 September 2021. MetroPM director Ian Smallman said: “The Building Safety Fund is intended to meet the costs of remediating cladding systems which do not adequately resist the spread of fire. “It requires

The updated Heat Network require that Operators of all unmetered shared heating system must, where possible, charge Residents for their measured heat use.  So, what does this change do for Fuel Poverty? It is proven in numerous studies across the World that the introduction of consumption-based charges reduces energy use by an average of 20%.  So, while this seems like a further Compliance demand in a property sector, that is already burdened with legislation, it could offer tangible benefits if a suitabl

The percentage of tenants in rent arrears decreased during October and November, according to research from PayProp. Payment data from the rental payment platform also shows that the typical percentage of rent in arrears fell consistently from August to November. However, with strict COVID-19 restrictions across large parts of the country set to remain in place for the foreseeable future, PayProp says letting agents and landlords should prepare themselves for arrears increasing again in the first few mont

The Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) has released details of its upcoming Spring Lecture. The online event to be held on 3rd and 4th March 2021 will focus on the key issues around cladding and building safety and its relevance for enfranchisement professionals. The Lecture will look at both the technical aspects underlying the cladding issue and also consider from a legal and valuation point of view its impact when buying the freehold. ALEP Director, Mark Chick, explains: “The

This time last year, if you’d asked me what would be the biggest issue for the property sector in 2020, I might have said Brexit. That’s still a concern, of course, with questions to be answered as the transition period runs out. I might also have predicted severe issues around cladding and fire safety which proved to be devastating for many leaseholders unable to sell up and move on, and in the meantime feeling unsafe in their own homes. It’s been estimated that replacing unsafe cladding in London alone

MetroPM has been appointed to manage Heritage Court, a prestigious development of 116 apartments and four ground floor commercial units in the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. Located in George Street, Heritage Court was completed by Barratt Homes in 2003. Services for occupiers include a concierge service on site and it has under croft parking. Ian Smallman, director of MetroPM which has offices in Birmingham and Cheltenham, said: “The directors of the Heritage Court management company felt it wa

Directors at residential property management firm MetroPM have welcomed a government decision to extend the deadline for applications to the Building Safety Fund for 31 December 2020 to 30 June 2021. Similarly, the deadline for a start on site for remedial works has been extended from 31 March 2021 to 30 September 2021. MetroPM director Ian Smallman said: “The Building Safety Fund is intended to meet the costs of remediating cladding systems which do not adequately resist the spread of fire. “It requires