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QUESTION I live in a purpose built apartment building comprising three floors and six apartments. We employ a managing agent to deal with the day to day administration of the block and the collection and disbursement of funds to cover services via the monthly service charge. We also have our management company. Things have generally rolled along quite well over the last 24 years, even with changes in owners and renters along the way. Over the years we have all taken it in turns to fill the roles of direct

Adiuvo are delighted to officially announce their partnership with Ask Porter an AI platform for the property sector. In a recent interview, Managing Director, Colin Stokes confirmed that although initially Adiuvo were involved in the capacity of advisors, Adiuvo invested in the product themselves shortly after seeing the scope of the AI. Colin commented: “We were being approached by companies on a weekly basis with new “revolutionary” software and apps but this was the first one that stood out to us.  On

The Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA) is the leading trade association for residential managing agents in England and Wales. The association’s mission statement is to constantly improve standards of leasehold management and professionalism by means of member training, guidance and support. The changing face of ARMA Like any organisation we have to continually develop our product offering to meet the changing needs of our members in a constantly evolving leasehold market. These changes are

Have you ever felt like the world of leasehold law is just too boring; confusing; legalised; full of jargon; inaccessible; complicated; daunting…? Do you own a flat, but literally have no idea what you have let yourself in for?   Tenant’s Tales is looking to change all of that and bring leasehold law into real life, so that you, the leaseholder, stand a chance!   Today, you’ll meet a few of our fictional tenants, most of whom you will recognize from your own experiences of flat living. Miss Browne Meet Mi

In this special feature, sponsored by PMR, we identify the most influential people in the residential leasehold property sector. Included within the list is a mix of leasehold campaigners, Parliamentarians, trade and professional bodies, managing agents, building owners, investors, developers, valuers, and lawyers among others. Let us know if we missed anyone out by emailing editor@newsontheblock.com   Entries have been gathered subjectively according to our knowledge and experience of the industry and ar

Issue 96 of News on the Block has now been published.  This issue includes some of the following articles: Abuse on the Block: How block managers can do more to stop domestic abuse The Hot 100 feature   Lawyer’s call over ‘sex for homes’ landlords Crackdown could hit Airbnb bookings A new series; Tenants Tales, to bring leasehold law to life Is there a need for longer minimum term tenancies?  ARMA membership changes to help directors  Please click the download link below to read th

An estimated 46% of 25–34 year olds live in private rented accommodation. This has risen from 27% in 2006-2007 and, as such, the build-to-rent sector has seen massive growth. Some 81% of rental contracts are assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) with a minimum fixed-term of just six or 12 months, most allowing landlords to increase rents or evict tenants at the end of their contracts, without giving reason.   This can leave tenants feeling insecure, unable to challenge poor property standards (for fear of te

Property management and surveying group Scanlans has posted a 16 per cent rise in annual revenues. Turnover in the year to March 31 increased to £4.4m from £3.8m, with growth across all of Scanlans’ operations. Its property management division saw a 10 per cent rise in revenues, fuelled by a host of new instructions for apartment block schemes in Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, and growth for the Scanlans Facilities Management operation. Key appointments in Scanlans’ building surveying and rating te

A decade ago, the idea of electric cars was more futuristic science fiction than a realistic possibility, but in this ever evolving world of technology, electric vehicles are fast becoming the most talked about and important advancement. But what are the key things you need to know? In reality, although electric vehicles have been around for several years, it was not until 2015 that they started to come into their own and become established. So, what are the key factors you need to know? Firstly, where ca

Principle Estate Management has won another contract in Birmingham to manage a suburban development of 19 apartments. Principle won the contract after conducting a full audit of the development for  Heritage (West Midlands) Ltd, who had been managing Florence House, 31-33 Park Road in Moseley since it was purpose-built in 2008. Brett Williams, managing director of Principle, said: “It is becoming increasingly harder for the private landlord to keep up with changes in legislation and best practice. “We wer

If you manage a block with just a handful of flats, chances are some kind of domestic abuse is taking place behind those closed doors, statistics say. Every week in England and Wales two women are killed by their partner or ex-partner and police say they receive 100 calls an hour reporting domestic abuse. More than 1.9 million adults aged 16 to 59 have experienced such abuse in the last year, according to the most recent Crime Survey for England and Wales. Of those, 1.2 million were women while 713,000 me

Airbnb-style property rentals face a crackdown because members of New York’s City Council fear they are driving up housing prices.   Homeowners who use the listings sites may be soon be forced to register their properties with the council after its members unanimously passed a bill.   Bosses of the listings sites would also be required to file monthly reports about their hosts and hand over their details if the plans are approved by city mayor Bill de Blasio. If they fail to disclose the information they