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.

Beware the Voluntary Lease Extension

We all know that leases are wasting assets and that the process involved in extending them under the current legislation is expensive and complex. So, is your landlord really throwing you a lifeline if he/she offers you a voluntary lease extension?   Leases granted on a voluntary basis are generally on a “take it or leave it” basis. This means that there is little opportunity for negotiation and, unlike under the legislation, you can’t ask the tribunal to decide which terms are appropriate or force the la

Trio of apartment properties launch in Manchester's Castlefield

A multimillion pound development of build-to-rent apartments has opened its doors in a rejuvenated inner city area of Manchester, complete with unrivalled facilities and amenities. Over £53m has been invested to create The Trilogy in the heart of Castlefield, which comprises 232 pet-friendly one, two and three-bedroom apartments ready to move into. Spanning 165,000 sq. ft. the striking development is located on Ellesmere Street and is set across three buildings known as Trilogy North, Trilogy West and Tri

New Associate Director for Caxtons

Caxtons is delighted to announce that Head of Block Management, Tony Martin, has been made an Associate Director of the South East based independent firm of chartered surveyors. Born in London and raised in Kent, Tony is a graduate of Greenwich University in Management and Maintenance and qualified in 2000 whilst working for the Royal Borough of Greenwich.   Tony joined Caxtons as a Property Manager in 2006 and was promoted to Senior Property Manager four years later.  This was followed in 2016 by h

Why should I have a gym in my show home?

We all know how important exercise is when it comes to staying fit and healthy. Unfortunately, joining a gym can be more of a headache than its worth. Not only do you need to find the time to get to the gym each evening, but it can also cost a fortune to maintain your membership. But what if you had all the benefits of a health and fitness centre in your home instead? This is the question that many developers and show homeowners are beginning to consider when designing compelling new properties. Now that

Government to fund cladding replacement in privately owned high-rise buildings

ARMA CEO, Dr Nigel Glen, said: “ARMA is delighted with the news that Government has agreed to fund cladding replacement in privately owned high-rise buildings. Leaseholders can finally get their lives back on track in the knowledge that their homes will be made safer. “This was a call first made by ARMA directly to the Secretary of State immediately after Grenfell and we have to congratulate the pressure groups that helped bring about this significant move, allowing affected leaseholders to finally live s

A right royal nuisance

Now that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a brand-new baby boy to look after, they can expect more than a few changes to their lives. And while the royals will have more help than most, there are some universals. One is that healthy babies with healthy lungs don’t come with volume control! So Harry and Meghan will have to get used to a fair bit of noise from their bundle of joy. The good news is that the Duke and Duchess live in a large farmhouse in the Cotswolds, so the neighbours are unlikely to be t

Reposit Partners with Estate Agency Network, Pattinson, to Offer Tenancy Deposit Alternative across the North East

Reposit, the InsurTech company bringing tenancy deposit alternatives to the forefront of the residential lettings market, today announces its new partnership with Pattinson, the largest independent agency network in the North East of England and its large base of landlord clients.   Reposit helps landlords attract new renters by reducing upfront costs, therefore opening up properties to a wider demographic of potential tenants. The pioneering cover protects landlords from those same issues covered by a tr

Converted schoolhouse apartments in Walsall to be looked after by Principle

Principle Estate Management has won the contract to look after a range of apartments in a converted old schoolhouse in Walsall. The School Lofts development is in The Butts area on Cecil Street, close to the famous Victorian park known as Walsall Arboretum near the town centre. Principle will set the service charge budget at the 28-unit development, undertake inspections, arrange works and services, and issue final accounts, while the freeholder will continue to collect ground rent, arrange buildings insu

Exclusive insurance product launched for RTM companies

iInsure365 have launched an exclusive insurance product for Right to Manage companies and lessees considering enfranchisement.   iInsure365 was created in 1997 to provide a customer focused insurance solution. It is dedicated to providing clients with help throughout the whole insurance process. We are proud of our reputation of being fully transparent of our costs.   iInsure365 will be attending the Professionalism in Property conference 2019 at County Hall, London on Wednesday 8th May 2019. The insure t

New CEO appointed at top 200 law firm

Brethertons LLP has announced the appointment of its Director of Legal Services Alison McCormack to the position of CEO effective from the 11 th April, succeeding Shaun Jardine McCormack joined Brethertons ten years ago in 2009. Before joining Brethertons, McCormack spent nearly 14 years at DHL International (UK) Ltd in senior leadership roles at national level, including New Business Development Manager and Customer Care Manager. During her tenure at DHL, McCormack was instrumental in strengthening and s

Building community spirit in new rental schemes

Gone are the days when rental schemes catered almost exclusively for recent graduates and young professionals, who want to enjoy city living while waiting to get on the property ladder. Now we are seeing more people in their 30s and 40s renting, not out of necessity, but because they are looking for fully-serviced, ultra-low maintenance homes in the suburbs.  Sometimes they are relatively high earners not yet ready to tie their capital up in property, and/or need the flexibility of being able to relocate

Changing the face of surveying

Earl Kendrick have always been at the cutting edge of the building surveying business, and are acknowledged experts in surveying for the residential sector. Over the years, they have won consecutive awards and been recognised as thought leaders in the industry.   Earl Kendrick’s success has always been driven by a determination to understand clients’ changing needs, and their new financial year sees the business relaunch. From 1 May 2019, Earl Kendrick becomes a director-led consultancy focused on high qu

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