Featured Articles

Get the answers to your questions and stay up to date about apartment building management with our featured articles and NOTB guides, on topics such as service charges, right to manage, buying your freehold, major works, building insurance and other issues about blocks of flats.

Property businesses admit they’re not harnessing tech

The majority of the UK’s property and facilities management companies admit that they are failing to harness technology successfully.   Only 5% of 960 real estate and facilities management professionals questioned in a special research project believed they were tech pacesetters.   The results of the research released by Qube Global Software reveal a significant proportion of the sector will be left playing catch-up with related technological applications. Just 20% of those who responded to the research b

Hitler holiday camp turned into plush apartments

A Nazi-built holiday camp planned by Adolf Hitler has been transformed into plush apartments worth £500,000. The luxury resort on Rugen, a German island in the Baltic Sea, had lain in ruin after building work was abandoned in 1939 when World War Two broke out.   It was planned to be the ultimate place for the German elite and holidaymakers. Now, the camp has been transformed with apartments boasting huge swimming pools.    The resort — which ended up being left as a drab, concrete shell — stretches a stag

Rendall & Rittner snaps up Braemar Estates to form management giant

Property management company Rendall & Rittner has snapped up residential management services firm Braemar Estates.    London-based Rendall & Rittner — which has offices across the UK – agreed the deal after buying the entire share capital of the company from asset management firm Brooks Macdonald Group.    Braemar Estates manages a portfolio of 5,000 residential, commercial and mixed-use properties across Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol and London, with a combined value in excess of £1.2

£400m refurbishment plan for UK’s “most notorious” apartment block

A London apartment block described as “the UK’s most notorious address” is to be transformed in a £400m overhaul. The owners of Dolphin Square in Pimlico — which has been associated with several scandals — have unveiled plans to add 200 new flats and refurbish all 13 “houses” in the 1,200-apartment complex.    As part of the proposal from architects Eric Parry, 7,000 windows will be replaced and a gym and offices will be built underground. The 7.5-acre complex was built in 1937 and quickly became popular

Property Management Awards 2017 - Winners Announced

We are delighted to announce the winners of the Property Management Awards 2017!  Thank you to all those who attended the awards ceremony on 30th November - you made it a magical, unforgettable night! Over 800 braced Supernova's doors making it our biggest PMAs yet and what a night it was! We would like to take this opportunity to thank our Judges, Mike Basquill, Richard Berridge, Andrew Bulmer, Ruth Campbell, Ian Fletcher and Bob Smytherman. Last but not least, we would like to thank all of our wonderful

What I wish they had taught me at university about the property industry

The property industry is a diverse field that includes amongst other things planning, organising, designing, constructing and conveyancing. It’s global, and therefore it involves people of different education and social backgrounds. The property industry is a bridge between the financial sector and the built environment. When I went to university, at London South Bank, they taught us a lot of good things. These include the practical elements I use daily in my job, for example •   Research •   Measurement

Where do you go for legal advice?

Introduction As landlords, tenants, management companies and managing agents, if you own property or act in property matters you will need legal advice and assistance at some stage.  It may be a simple one-off piece of advice or it may be a more involved matter.  Where do you go?   How do you know that the solicitor on the other end of the telephone will have the experience you need? First Call One would expect the first point of call to be your existing solicitor.   As they will have acted for you in t

Autumn 2017 budget on additional 3% SDLT

‘Unfair!’ shouted the leaseholders; ‘unclear!’ shouted the professional advisors when the additional 3% rate of SDLT was introduced and applied to certain lease extension transactions. Following the Government’s introduction of the higher rate of SDLT, an additional 3% SDLT surcharge applied to lease extensions at a property which was not your only property when the agreed premium was £40,000 or more.  Now, the Government has announced in the Autumn 2017 Budget that, from 22 November 2017, it will grant r

What does success look like at the Tribunal?

In the Tribunal, experts need to know what a successful outcome looks like. If you consult a life coach, or listen to a motivational speaker, it will be more than likely that within their repertoire of “take away” one liners, the mantra of “you need to know what success looks like” will be high up on their list of ways to achieve your goals, ambitions and even perhaps even enlightenment. As expert advisors, that mantra should be our driving force. If followed, not only is it of great reputational value, i

Adiuvo open office in India

Almost 3 years ago Adiuvo were fortunate to have an application for a part time customer service position. The applicant, Manas was in Ireland studying for his Masters and had experience if not in actual property management, then in running outbound call centres in India where he is originally from. Over the first year Manas continued part time, working the 20 hours his visa allowed and began to learn about the UK property market and emergency maintenance associated with same whilst he taught us as much o

Hyperoptic hits ‘100 developer’ milestone

Hyperoptic, the UK’s largest residential gigabit broadband provider, today announces that it is now working with 100 UK developers. The list includes Barratt London, Berkeley Homes, Crest Nicholson, Great Portland Estates and Stanhope. Hyperoptic works with developers to install its fibre infrastructure into existing developments across their portfolio. It has also become standard addition to the initial specifications for new developments, as it offers ‘day one’ connectivity as standard for new developme

Electric vehicles are no longer coming - they are here

Our first hand experience leads us to believe that there is no need to worry.  Let me first start by saying that I was unconvinced, perhaps even sceptical, of any suggestion that Electric Vehicles could meet the needs of our business. My job as Finance Director is to find the most cost effective and efficient ways to deliver our services. Whilst I do not have much control over the prices charged by suppliers and manufacturers I do however have control over running costs that have a direct impact on a comp

© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.

News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.

We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site you consent cookies.