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“I have read and heard something about this GDPR, it sounds as though it is bad news and we may not be able to do business without major changes. Is that true?” Over the recent months there has been much written and said about the GDPR, some of the information has been misunderstood. The reason for the GDPR is there have been many changes in technology and court rulings which require the law to be updated. The changes which have been made are largely to reflect these changes. Some things to consider; This

Multi-award-winning surveyors Earl Kendrick Associates announce the opening of a new office in Manchester. This move allows the firm to help existing clients with properties in the area, as well as taking on instructions from new clients in Manchester and the wider northwest. It also marks the further expansion of the London-based surveyors, who opened an office in Brighton last summer. Earl Kendrick’s Manchester office will offer the full range of surveying services, from flat buying surveys to planned m

Warwick Estates have recently acquired Base Estates, an award winning competitor from Greater Manchester. The deal was an all-share purchase of the entire company and client base which was concentrated throughout the North West of England. Warwick Estates Managing Director Craig Stevens: “The acquisition of Base Estates has added to the organic growth of our Northern Office and enabled more leaseholders to benefit from our technology platform. I’m delighted to welcome all the new clients into the Warwick

Speak to any managing agent and they will tell you that the management of ‘energy for landlord supplies’ can present problems. Are we getting a good deal? Are we in contract? Why can’t anybody sort out problems on our account? These are just some of the questions that are frequently asked. So why is energy management an issue and what makes energy supply more complex for residential blocks than for individual householders? The problem is twofold. First, you are frequently dealing with a third party becaus

​As as of September 1st, Adiuvo have appointed a new management team. Rhoda O'Sullivan, Vicki Rebello and Gemma Hennessy have been promoted to Associate Directors. Colin Stokes, Managing Director of Adiuvo commented: "We are delighted to officially recognise the work of three staff who have really already been responsible for recent growth and day to day running of the company."

Wondering why the energy bills for the blocks you manage are so high? Could lighting be the problem, asks Jamie Willsdon. Have you ever taken a closer look at the way the energy bills for the blocks you manage are split? If not, you could be in for a shock. More than 70% of the charges for a typical residential block could be accounted for by the lighting alone. Many blocks around the country have outdated lighting systems and a good proportion of these have communal lighting turned on all day and night,

News on the Block talks to Bradley Parker, the MD of newly launched Future Fire Safety. Future Fire Safety is a newly launched sister company to market-leading block lighting consultants Future Lighting. 1. What inspired you to get involved in the fire and life safety sector? - While working as an industrial electrical engineer, I became interested in the complexities of the fire protection industry. The sector has a wide and varied number of sub-disciplines in both active and passive protection. Virtual

Autumn 2017 sees the launch of a sister company for market-leading block lighting consultants Future Lighting. Future Fire Systems Limited has been established to meet increasing demand from property managers for a fast-response, specialist, fire and life safety systems installation and maintenance service. The new company is headed up by Bradley Parker, an industrial electrical engineer with 20 years’ experience in the fire protection sector. Bradley has worked in the fire, life safety and security indus

Generally, standard property insurance cover on a block of flats does not automatically include damage caused by terrorism although in most cases, the cost to add terrorism insurance to a policy can be relatively low depending on the location of the block. Terrorism insurance has become an increasingly contentious issue in service charge cases; in short, many leaseholders think it is unnecessary and simply serves to increase their service charges, but is that what the Tribunal’s think? CASE LAW On the 16

Lansdown Insurance Brokers will be opening the doors to the historic Lansdown House in Pittville Circus Road, Cheltenham on Thursday 14 September for two networking sessions, one morning and one afternoon. Date: 14/09/17 Time: 14:00 Where: Lansdown House, Pittville Circus Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL52 2QE Their Commercial Manager Darren Bee explained “We’re really keen to showcase our experience and offering for managing the insurance needs of property portfolios; it also gives us the chance t

Why do people join networks such as Airbnb, well, as per their own website the main reason is income, therefore letting is a commercial activity. Obviously if you are a freeholder unencumbered by any conditions of your mortgagee or your current insurer regarding sub-letting then you can use your property as you see fit. Using your property to generate additional income is your decision: As long as it does not prejudice any contract with a party whom have a financial interest or provide indemnity for your

What would happen to my family and I following a major insured incident leading to the destruction of the block in which my flat is located: What cover is provided by the insurance company? Where would I live? What level of benefit can I expect? For how long would I be entitled to this benefit? The main driver for any Residential Management Company, Right to Manage Company or Managing Agent when purchasing a block insurance policy is to cover the buildings; i.e. the physical structure at risk. Howev