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.

Crying ‘fowl' over pet definitions!

Owners, leaseholders or occupiers are understandably concerned if there is the potential for pets to cause damage or a nuisance to other tenants. And they often seek clarity around the implications, conditions or exceptions that are deemed acceptable.   Most residential leases will include some form of restriction for keeping pets, whether this be from a prescribed list of animals permitted, obtaining written consent or an absolute prohibition on keeping animals in the property at all. As well as possible

New Managing Director at Fexco Property Services

Fexco Property Services are delighted to welcome a new member to the Senior Management Team. Rob Chapman (LLB) joins the group as Head of Legal & Compliance, and brings over 20 years of experience as a qualified lawyer in both the commercial property and development sectors. Previously a partner in an established Bristol and London based firm, he aims to provide a full understanding of the changing legal environment surrounding the property management industry. Fexco Property Services is a group of specia

ALEP gives a general welcome to leasehold commitments from two major parties

The Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) has expressed a general welcome for leasehold manifesto commitments from Labour and the Conservatives ahead of the 2019 General Election.   In both the Conservative and Labour manifestos, both parties acknowledge the need to undertake reforms to leasehold law and practice. Both seem to agree that a ban on the sale of new leasehold houses should be implemented and that ground rents should be restricted to a peppercorn.   Mark Chick, ALEP Dir

Senior appointments to strengthen PM Legal Services team

Property management firm PM Legal Services has strengthened its team with three senior appointments following a period of growth for the company. Chloe Arnold has joined as a solicitor, current personal assistant Faye Sahman has been promoted to Head of Support and Jennifer Knibbs has started a training contract leading to qualification as a solicitor. Partner Cassandra Zanelli said: “I’m pleased to welcome Chloe to the team and announce Faye and Jennifer’s promotions. “I’m extremely proud to be able to i

MRI Software Acquires Multifamily Insurance Partners to Help Apartment Owners Reduce Risk and Provide Reliable Protection for Consumers

MRI Software (“MRI”), a global leader in real estate software solutions, announced that it has acquired Multifamily Insurance Partners, a leader in resident insurance programs for the US multifamily rental market. The acquisition will enable property owners and operators to close insurance gaps and minimize loss by implementing resident insurance compliance programs for apartment renters. The new offering, MRI Multifamily Insurance, further streamlines the leasing and onboarding process for property owner

Principle wins contract to manage old silk warehouse in central London

A former warehouse for exotic silks and textiles that’s now used as a restaurant and wine bar with 14 apartments above is to be looked after by Principle Estate Management. The Tapestry Building at 16 New Street, opposite Liverpool Street Station in London, was formerly known as the Old Bengal Warehouse, and dates back to the 18th century. The property is part of the landmark Devonshire Square development, a collection of historic buildings that now forms a popular social, trading and residential developm

Leaseholder fails to overturn Freeholder’s refusal of consent to change of use to residential on enfranchisement risk grounds

The landlord in this case (Sequent Nominees Limited (formerly Rotrust Nominees Limited) v Hautford Limited [2019] UKSC47) has succeeded before the Supreme Court where it had lost at every level below that. The leaseholder wanted to change the use of part of the property to residential. This is likely to have enabled it to acquire the freehold via compulsory purchase powers under the enfranchisement legislation on the basis that it then fell within the definition of a “house”. The property in question comp

BlockRecruit launch '12 Weeks of Wellbeing'

BlockRecruit are on a mission to help all candidates and clients become more resilient, healthy and happy people. Following on from Zoe's talks at the IRPM Regionals raising awareness on wellbeing and mental health in Block Management, BlockRecruit are launching the “12 Weeks of Wellbeing”.   Whether you’re doing this for you or you’re a Team Manager and looking at how you can better support your team members, the 12 Weeks of Wellbeing programme is designed to share tips, guidance, exercises and techniq

Property Management Awards 2019 - Winners Announced

The winners for the News on the Block Property Management Awards 2019 were announced at our prestigious awards ceremony on 22nd November at City Central at the HAC, Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 2BQ.  We had over 800 guests in attendance who celebrated the achievements of their peers over the last year.    The integrity of our awards is of paramount concern, and we were delighted to have been awarded the Independent Awards Council Gold Awards Trust Mark. May we take this opportunity to thank our panel of j

Pennycuick Collins appointed at The Old Library Stourbridge

Award winning chartered surveyors Pennycuick Collins have been appointed as managing agents of the Old Library in Stourbridge.  This is the third new block management appointment based in the Midlands for the residential service charge team in just over a month. Director of residential service charge Lyndsey Cannon-Leach, commented: “We are thrilled to be adding the Old Library to our portfolio. It is visually, a spectacular residential scheme we are very excited to be managing, which will increase our ov

Time for change at Crabtree Property

London based property management company Crabtree has appointed a new Managing Director – Chris March. Chris stepped into the role after long-standing MD Rob Robertson decided it was time to leave after 35 years of building the company from just 3 members to the established business it is today.   Chosen for the role because of his experience in team building, management and building a property portfolio, Chris has spent his entire career in the property sector. After selling his own agency to a large plc

Hamilton Darcey LLP, welcomes Ben Jeanes MRICS as partner

Chartered Surveyors, Hamilton Darcey LLP welcome Ben Jeanes as Partner. Ben joins Hamilton Darcey LLP with over 12 years of Surveying experience across the commercial and high-end residential sector. Ben has worked with clients ranging from Right to Manage (RTM) companies and private landlords, to asset managers, developers and managing agents, and joins Hamilton Darcey LLP ready to help further expand the firm’s Licence to Alter service and Major Works project management.   Ben, who started with the comp

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