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We know a thing or two about moving at News On The Block - so when we heard about the ARMA Conference moving to a brand new etc.venues location in Houndsditch in the heart of the city, we couldn’t help but get excited.   The venue was not the only change, ARMA has built upon its history of serving our industry and rejuvenated its flagship conference with a new format and an ever-more engaging list of speakers, sponsors and partners.   With over 550 industry professionals in attendance, delegates heard wha

The Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) has written to Esther McVey, Minister of State for Housing to review and improve flat owners’ rights to extend their leases.  The Association's letter to the Minister highlights the issue of the current two year wait regulation that applies to leaseholders wanting to purchase the freehold of their property.  John Midgley, ALEP Director, explains: “At present, under current legislation, leasehold property owners must have been the regi

Princes Gate, the conversion of former HMRC offices in Solihull into luxury apartments by Elevate Property Group, is now over 60% sold. The company said that the nine minute train journey into Birmingham was attracting young professionals working in the city, and the proximity to Birmingham Airport was appealing to the “lock up and leave” generation with properties abroad. Sales and marketing director David Hofton revealed that the first phase of Princes Gate, Consort House, is already 100% sold and the s

Significant value may be added to a leaseholder’s property interest if they can change the use from commercial to residential and even more if, as a result, they are then able to acquire the freehold interest from their landlord by enfranchisement. Two cases illustrate this and the problems for leaseholders and their landlords in this regard i.e. as they battle for ground to negotiate for a share of the development value. In the first case, Shaviram Normandy Limited v Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council,

ARMA (the Association of Residential Managing Agents) has issued a ‘Fire Safety Management in Flats’ Guidance Note to share best practice with professional Fire Safety personnel involved in the residential leasehold sector, including managing agents, developers and landlords. The Guidance Note has been produced in line with statutory guidance and industry best practice and independently reviewed by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, ARMA’s Primary Authority Partner and can be accessed by clicking here.  D

As any good property manager knows, they’re only as good as the people they surround themselves with. And as a residential block manager has more on their plate than ever before, the reliance on the team on-site has never been greater.   Does this give the property manager the excuse to let the on-site staff run the show?   Under-utilised An on-site team may comprise an estate manager, concierges, a caretaker, maintenance man, security personnel, cleaners… At another building, there may be a single front

MRI Software (“MRI”), a global leader in real estate software solutions, announced a range of key new solutions during the opening general session of MRI Ascend, its North American users conference, held in Anaheim on October 13th through 16th. The announcement underlines MRI’s continuing commitment to both innovation and an open and connected approach to real estate software. The announced products bring new payment, lead management, lease intelligence and secure signature capabilities to MRI’s comprehen

The Fixflo Leasehold and Block Management Market Report has found that although most block management companies have achieved portfolio growth, they are struggling to translate that increase in revenue and workload into increased profits. The Report which was supported by ARMA, MRI Software, News On The Block and Flat Living received responses from more than 170 block management companies which according to ARMA figures equates to more than 19% of the block management market. Within the headline figure of

The judging is now complete and we are happy to announce the 2019 Property Management Awards shortlist! This year we took a new approach to the judging process. Judges were divided into three groups and initially scored all entries for their selected categories independently via our online portal. Each group of judges then met to review and discuss the results for their categories and to agree the final winners and highly commended. If you would like to view the judges groups and categories please click h

Issue 103 of News on the Block has now been published. This issues includes some of the following articles:  Record numbers turn out for ALEP conference Exclusive preview of the Fixflo Leasehold and Block Management Market Report Your planet needs you! 5 ways you can do your bit to help Three core skills to look for in property managers The Recipe for the Perfect Major Works Project Court rules on management company dispute Special Prop Tech & Security feature including:  PropTech

Do you want to be able to “walk around” your sites and buildings at any time and the move of a mouse? If so, Adiuvo have introduced Inerro, a 360 degree virtual video walkthrough of the communal parts of your buildings and sites.  The idea behind the service is that often office based staff are dealing with enquiries on sites that they have not had the opportunity to visit however now, via a secure link, that whole building is available to them immediately to seamlessly view, including all external. This

Whilst the global impact of climate change is widely acknowledged, experts are divided over the potential extent, writes Janey Brockwell. The World Bank believes that as many as 150m people could be displaced by 2050 due to climate change. A recent study from an Australian think-tank suggests that the true figure could be closer to 1bn! The UK has committed to leading the global war on climate change by reducing greenhouse gases to virtually nil by 2050. Shortly before leaving office, Theresa May stated t