Featured Articles

FirstPort has joined a select group of companies to be named as one of the UK’s 2020 Top Employers. FirstPort is one of only 82 companies to be given this prestigious certification by the Top Employers Institute, and is the only organisation in the property management sector to receive the status this year. It follows a rigorous review of the organisation’s HR practices based on standards reviewed by the Institute across more than 600 HR practices. Plus an external audit benchmarking against the very best

What’s goin’ on ’ere then? A development of 32 luxury apartments on the site of a former Solihull police station is to be looked after by Principle Estate Management. The MIA Properties Group has appointed Principle to manage the three and four-storey block currently under construction on the site of what was once the Shirley police station on the Stratford Road. The new property will be known as Sir Robert Peel Court, named after the man regarded as the father of modern British policing, owing to his fou

Fire detection and alarm systems are installed in residential and commercial buildings primarily in the interest of life safety. They are designed to provide an early warning of a fire to enable occupants of the building to escape in a calm and safe manner.    As a life safety system, it is important that your fire alarm system is appropriate for your building, being designed, installed, commissioned and maintained regularly by a suitably qualified and competent company.    How do you know who is suitably

Hyperoptic unveils new research assessing the key factors motivating home movers and the developers that build and maintain property. The study is one of the largest of its kind, some 228 housing professionals and 2,000 homeowners or renters were quizzed about their expectations regarding property. The clear finding is that broadband is now the ‘4th utility’ – on a par with water, gas and electricity. Some 86% of the public claim that having a decent connection in their property is ‘important’ to them whi

The issue of how remedial works and interim measures will be funded is an emotive and challenging one, with many competing interests at play. Brady Solicitors’ Adam Fotiou reviews the options for freeholders and managing agents seeking to fund these essential works. Owners and developers who had installed cladding in good faith are refusing to pay for remedial works and many are looking to the leaseholders to fund these works under their service charge, should the leases to the flat permit them to do so.

National Apprenticeship Week (3rd – 7th February 2020) shines a light on the opportunities open to those who choose not to enter into higher education and instead undertake an apprenticeship. The UKs leading independent property management agent, Rendall & Rittner, is committed to supporting young people and helping them develop their careers within the sector. Rendall & Rittner’s apprenticeship scheme provides young people with the opportunity to build their skills whilst learning on the job. Liam Barrat

QUESTION  I own my flat and have a share of the freehold. My neighbour upstairs had a blocked sink recently and it leaked into my property causing damage.   The board members have insisted that I use a rogue builder who do not speak English and whose qualifications have not been provided. They have put pressure on me to use this builder.  I didn't accept their conditions so they have now refused to help. They are not willing to provide my details to the owner above who has tenants in the flat. I now have

Recently, when purchasing a case of my favourite beer at the supermarket I had a mischievous urge to ask what their profit margin was on each can.  I figured that in the run up to Christmas, when there is consumer demand for booze, the supermarket must be earning a profit and selling it to me for a mark-up of at least 15% - which seems entirely reasonable. However I had bought the rather large case at a discounted price. If I bought only four cans, then theoretically their margin was in excess of 50%. Thi

Martin Hurrell MRICS CMaPs joins Earl Kendrick’s London team as Head of Surveying. Julian Davies MRICS RMaPs MFPWS, Managing Director of the Earl Kendrick Group of Companies, tells us “We’ve welcomed Martin to lead our London team of senior surveyors. He joins us at a time when Earl Kendrick’s geographical reach is expanding across the UK and his appointment enables us to continue embracing our core values as agile surveying experts in the property management sector. Martin’s role is crucial to our contin

Pennycuick Collins’ staff have voted to support Edward’s Trust as the charity of the year. For the next 12 months the firm will organise a range of fundraising events and campaigns in aid of the charity which supports children and families facing loss and surviving bereavement in the West Midlands, as well as training for professionals who support bereaved parents and children.   Edward’s Trust was set up in 1989 by Peter and Hilary Dent in memory of their son Edward, who died aged 7 of cancer at Birmingh

You may have seen a line in your development’s annual budget for contributions to the reserve fund - sometimes also referred to as the sinking fund - but what is this and why does it matter?  A reserve fund is money earmarked for large-scale or substantial building projects that are carried out to keep your development looking good and working correctly. We refer to these projects as ‘major works’ and these can include things like redecorating the outside of your building, repairing the roof or replacing

In an area of insurance that has created relatively little discussion recently, Katie Edwards, Associate at specialist property solicitors JB Leitch, looks at the challenges surrounding insurance against terrorism and the implications for leaseholders and landlords in determining sufficient cover. The premise  Landlords are usually subject to covenants within leases to insure their buildings in respect of risk of damage or destruction and leaseholders will be required to make payment of their proportion o