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Whatever happened in property management during the early 1980s to lead to the implementation of section 20 of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985? The answer is that there were many cases of abuse where houses were purchased, converted (often poorly) and sold on long leases (again often poorly drafted) and the landlords would continue to manage the development undertaking substandard repairs at inflated costs and not accounting properly for the costs incurred. It’s no wonder that statutory protection was requ

PM Legal (a division of law firm Keebles) has partnered with the IRPM to launch the Institute’s new Fast-track Associate Programme at PM Legal’s inaugural residential conference for property managers across March 29-31 in Oxford. Aimed at ambitious property managers who are seeking to raise standards in the residential property management sector, entry requirements for the pilot programme are a minimum of 1 year property management experience. The three day course will be facilitated in the inspiring conf

If your company has potential employees queuing around the block to work for you, then great! However, perhaps your industry is more niche, you’re after something specific or you could be spending your time more productively, instead of shortlisting and sorting through applications? Working within the block management industry, candidates can often be in short supply. We have spoken previously about how it can be hard to meet the demand for placing candidates that meet clients’ specific needs. TemplePM is

The latest RICS and Macdonald & Company Rewards and Attitudes Survey has found that the sectoral gender pay gap has closed during the past year, as more women are attracted to the industry and more attain senior positions. It also found that working in the real estate and built environment industry has many other appealing benefits for a better work/life balance. Last year’s gender pay gap figures (April 2018) showed that the UK’s biggest companies paid men an average of 18.4% more than women. Additionall

Leading managing agent Rendall & Rittner focuses heavily on investing in its employees and creating a company where individuals can flourish regardless of gender. To tie in with International Women’s Day today, female members of Rendall & Rittner’s senior management team comment on gender equality in the property management industry and encouraging women into the sector. Comments from: Catherine Riva – Director (CR), Catherine Orezzi – Head of HR (CO), Karen Gray – Area Director (KG), Joanna Biles – Area

Since Brexit became UK government policy following the referendum in 2016, the effects on house prices have been largely overstated. Prices have not collapsed, instead they have dropped slightly, stabilised and in some areas, particularly outside of London, recovered well. The transactional process in residential property sales has been significantly slower however – people are holding off buying a house, and sellers are holding on to achieve what they perceive to be a fair price. The days of easy wins du

QUESTION What does a flat owner/ leaseholder do when the Management Company refuse to share the Annual Company Accounts with them? (Signed by directors in February 2018 -  Y/end 31/08/17) ANSWER Section 21 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires landlords to provide leaseholders with a summary of the service charge costs incurred. Following that you have the right to see the accounts and supporting documentation. If you have not already done so, you should make a written request for the service char

Digital services are expected by landlords, leaseholders and residents. PropTech needs to be in the palm of a property manager’s hand and at Dwellant, as PropTech pioneers, we would be happy to hear from you. As we get rolling into March, decision makers in the property management market should have a clear digital strategy for their business. And in order to be effective, their digital strategy must be aligned with their business goals. Today, technology is the major driving force when creating a competi

Who knows what the next decade will bring? It’s impossible to tell. But one thing is for sure: technology is here to stay – unless something really drastic goes wrong, but we’ll probably have other concerns in that case! The way that people interact with each other is changing, well, really, it’s already changed. Block management is currently at risk of being left behind. It’s seen by some as a bit old fashioned, unwilling to get its head around new trends, dismissing them as fads. Block management someti

Buyers are already signing up online for details of a new luxury Birmingham residential address which won’t even be launched until Easter 2019. Demand for Assay Lofts, Elevate Property Group’s 32 apartment development in Charlotte Street which overlooks St Paul’s Square in one of Birmingham’s most sought-after locations, has been so strong the developers are expecting to sell out off-plan. The scheme of one and two bedroom apartments was originally designed by Birmingham practice Glenn Howells Architects

Airbnb and other short term letting websites are causing increasing irritation for owners in residential blocks, according to Ian Smallman, a director of Principle Estate Management. “It is becoming a real problem, especially within city centre locations where you often come across owners and even tenants sub-letting via Airbnb and similar services,” he said. “Occupiers of the block often complain about groups, usually younger people, being rowdy and partying until the early hours of the morning, causing

Godwin Developments in Birmingham has announced it has exchanged contracts on a site in Bletchley, Milton Keynes, where it will construct 184 apartments in phase one of a build-to-rent (BTR) scheme. The development on Bletchley View will also include three commercial units and total more than 165,000 sq ft with a gross development value of £50 million for the first phase – part of a total project valued at £125 million. James Mulcare, land director at Godwin Developments, said: “We are delighted to have e