Featured Articles

When is an insurance report not an insurance report? Answer: when it’s a LOLER. It’s not the kind of riveting question that will get you going at your local pub quiz but the issue of insurance and LOLER reports is something we are asked about on a regular basis. What is an insurance report? What is a LOLER? Why do we need one? What happens if we do not have one? Let’s start with what they are. Though many people refer to insurance reports, the reality is that no such report is used in the lift industry. I

Flat owners may often wish to challenge the reasonableness of the their landlord’s management fee. Sometimes this fee will be based on the passing service charge expenditure, e.g. 20% of the same, and on others as a fixed fee perhaps with inflation proofing. They may be surprised to hear that their ability to do this is not always available; it may be closed off by the terms of their lease. This is demonstrated by the Upper Tribunal’s decision in the case of ANCHOR TRUST v LESLIE WABY & ORS (2018) UKUT 37

QUESTION I would like to ask if it is possible for a small block of 6 flats under the umbrella of 30 flat, to buy the freehold of a block separately. ANSWER The wording of the question does not allow for the exact structure of this block to be determined, and it is therefore difficult to provide a specific response to your reader. It would appear, given that your reader has identified that the 6 flats form a small block, that use of the phrase 'under the umbrella of' signifies a small block that is attac

Over the past 8 years, in my position as the Estate Manager at a well-known retirement development in Chelsea, West London, I have long recognised the importance of a Residents’ Association. Residents’ Associations (RA’s) are an important asset for Customers, Property Managers, Managing Agents and Landlords. If you haven’t yet realised this, take my advice and set one up, or encourage your customers to form one. The formation of a residents’ association is a simple process, which requires a group of inter

As a block management recruitment agency, we have to develop key listening skills for the people seeking our help. Candidates spend time getting to know us and it is imperative that we get to know them. This is also the case for our clients. We want to be making perfect matches that work for both sides; sometimes this can happen easily but not always. When deciding which candidate to send for an interview, we already feel that they should be a good ‘fit’ but what happens if a client has a preconceived ide

Principle Estate Management has been appointed to look after hundreds of apartments in London, the West Midlands and south England.   The major new national contract has come from Simarc Property Management Ltd, the management arm of the Wallace Group, which last year purchased Gray’s Inn Holdings Ltd. The Group now owns 106,000 leasehold properties. Simarc had already commissioned Principle to manage ten developments last year, including a development of apartments each worth more than £1.5 million on

A recent Supreme Court decision has the potential to have wide-reaching consequences for property owners. In the case of UKI (Kingsway) Limited (Respondent) v Westminster City Council (Appellant) the Supreme Court (“the Court”) was asked to determine whether a completion notice had been served under the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (“the Act”).  Background UKI (Kingsway) Limited (“UKI”) was responsible for the redevelopment of 1 Kingsway.  Westminster City Council (“the Council”) asked UKI’s agents t

LevelUP is a new property management company recently launched and looking to take the industry by storm in 2019. Quoted on Property TV as one of the 19 companies to watch in 2019 and as having a a modern mind-set & refreshing approach, it will be an interesting journey for them during this period of time.

Most people are aware of freehold and leasehold tenures and how they work in principle.  But commonhold, on the other hand, is a tenure that is not as common as it sounds, and it appears to be less known despite being introduced in 2002.  However, with the recent discussions and consultations taking place, could Commonhold potentially be considered again by developers in the near future? Although commonhold was initially expected to be used for residential flats instead of leasehold, it can also be used f

When a new property management company launches, the overall response it is met with is “Another one? Why?”. Closely followed, by the second response “How is this one going to be different to the existing companies?”. Whilst others would see these remarks as limiting and negative, LevelUP Property Management grasp them as incentives to stand out and provide a unique service. Change in the industry has been long-overdue. The government, professional bodies and property managers agree, with legislation and

The effects of Brexit will be felt far and wide and across the border. As a business that is classed in the ‘at the border exposure sector’, concerned primarily with disruptions to supply chains, exchange rates and any introduction of duties that may impact any service delivery, it is important for us to be proactive rather than reactive in our planning and logistical management. We are constantly reviewing our company ‘Business Risk Register’ which enables us to identify and prepare for any major impact

2019 is the time of new beginnings for Deverell Smith Senior Consultant, Will Kirby, who has made the move from our Estate Agency team to the Block & Estate Management team. Before joining Deverell Smith, Will sold connectivity solutions into hotels all over Europe including the Hilton, Marriot, Hyatt, Sheraton, Crowne Plaza and IHG. Since joining Deverell Smith nearly 3 years ago, Will has played a pivotal role in the estate agency team placing key negotiators and game changing directors into some of the