Featured Articles

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

A survey of 1,000 London homeowners has uncovered some stark findings, revealing that many leaseholders are disillusioned with the lack of transparency on fees and service from managing agents and are therefore particularly keen to understand more about Right to Manage. Leasehold properties in London are on the rise, with 98% of all new build properties sold in the capital in 2018 classified as leasehold. While the tenure is particularly prevalent in London, one in every five homes in England is now also

Most people are now used to technology touching virtually every aspect of their lives, usually simplifying complicated tasks into a few simple stages. This is no different when it comes to managing property. The benefits of integrating various tools and the ability to communicate with different users in real time allows property management software to save its users huge  amounts of time and money. More and more property managers are taking up property management software as it has changed the way they wo

Let’s get one thing straight, block managers aren’t going anywhere! Yours are the invisible hands that  keep everything working together – you are indispensable. The age of the internet has changed many industries, and property, for the most part, has been resistant to it.    Yes, there are portals offering solutions for people looking to sell or rent out their properties, but from the portal, customers still end up speaking to an agent and attending a viewing. There are of course, plenty of startups look

Within each industry sector, there are game changers and champions, and in the leasehold sector Alex Greenslade stood apart as a character of integrity and drive.    His sad passing was a huge loss to our specialist sector where many had known him as a friend, as well as a colleague and sometime adversary.    Alex co-founded the professional membership association ALEP with his sister Anna Bailey in 2007. Alex had worked with leaseholders since 1998, and he was also co-founder and Chairman of the Leasehol

Independent property consultants and chartered surveyors Pennycuick Collins have appointed two new team members to their award winning residential management team. Andrew Winstanley joins as a Senior Property Manager working alongside Director Lyndsey Cannon-Leach and Associate Director Dale Jones to meet growing demand from existing and new accounts.  He held a number of senior roles with First Port and before that SDL Group prior to joining Pennycuick Collins.  Chloe Ross has been recruited to the team

Issue 99 of News on the Block has now been published. This issues includes some of the following articles:  Tribute to an industry friend - Alex Greenslade  Technology can be key for block managers Is block management being left behind?  How to avoid the legal headaches of running a RMC  Beware of fixed charges you can’t challenge Will your spirits be dampened by a leak? When an insurance report is not an insurance report! Licence to alter: getting the balance right Brexit