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The UK’s largest residential property management firm, FirstPort, has announced a number of new hires to its team as well as several appointments to industry roles for their existing employees. Martin King has been appointed Director of Business Development, Marketing and Communications to bolster FirstPort’s already strong executive board. Martin joins from CBRE Asset Services and Rating where he was Head of Business Development. With over 15 years’ experience at board level, Martin is fully equipped to

On Monday 10th October 2016, the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) was proud to host its 19th conference at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Portland Place, London. With a delegate list of the leasehold enfranchisement sector’s top players, the conference attracted a host of ALEP members including barristers, managing agents, project managers, solicitors and valuers. The conference – officially ALEP’s most successful to date – gave some of the sector’s leading

A year ago saw the formation of the Young Leasehold Professionals Association or YLP for short , 3 events later and the group has now grown to 200 members across the industry with some of the leading firms in Leasehold Reform represented. On November 18th  the YLP will host their winter event, after securing sponsorship from leading solicitors Bolt Burdon, the YLP have been able to secure the fantastic Chamber Room in the Piccadilly Institute. There will of course be refreshments supplied and the night pr

A property management specialist from Sheffield’s Taylor & Emmet LLP has shared her experience and expertise at a national workshop for leaseholders held in the city. Solicitor Cassandra Zanelli, the firm’s head of property management, was one of three keynote speakers at the National Leasehold Group’s First-tier Tribunal Masterclass. The one-day workshop aimed at property officers and managers took place at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane ground. The workshop provided insight into the methods an

The case of willow court  management (1985) Ltd v alexander [2016] 0290 UKUT (LC)(“Willow court”) in the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) dealt with unreasonable conduct during litigation in England. Rule “13” Tribunal Rules 2013 Rule 13 of the Tribunal Procedure Rules 2013 (“Rules”) may give rise to financially damaging consequences. Under Rule 13(1), where a Tribunal finds that: (a) costs have been incurred as a result of any “improper, unreasonable or negligent act or omission on part of any legal

The recent case of Leaseholders of Foundling Court and O’Donnell Court v London Borough of Camden and others [2016] considered whether the statutory obligation to consult was a requirement imposed on a superior landlord and, if so, whether it was necessary to consult individual leaseholders as well as the intermediate landlord. Foundling Court and 0’Donnell Court are parts of the Brunswick Centre, a Grade II-listed residential and shopping centre located between Brunswick Square and Russell Square in L

A recurring theme is the challenges of communal living and accepting each other’s foibles and traits. I have often argued that to live in a block of flats requires a mind-set and a discipline of give and take with your neighbours. I live in a block of flats and understand first-hand the needs and responsibilities flat-living brings. I have done so for over 15 years now and the lifestyle of one-floor living suits me and the lease is not a problem. It is a world of difference to the buy-to-let investo

In this special feature, 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 A download of the print edition of the Hot 100 feature can be found at the end of the article. Entries have been gathered su

QUESTION Dear Sir, I am a director of a new RTM company. There are 11 flats in the building. Each of the leases of the flats state that the lessees have a 9.9% service charge proportion. This brings the total service charge proportions to 108.9%. Another director feels that this makes the leases defective as the total service charge percentage is over 100%. Under the circumstances, this director is pressing for lease variations for all of the residential leases. I have noticed, however, that just be

It is a well-known fact that a lease is a capital asset that has a market value but it is also a wasting asset in that its value will gradually erode as time passes. The fewer years there are left to run on the lease, the less it will be worth. However, there is a common misconception that when a long residential flat lease expires, the tenant must automatically vacate the property. This is not strictly true. When the contractual term of a residential long lease at a low rent comes to an end, then p

A ‘nice little earner’ could leave tenants at risk of huge damages or even losing their homes. Airbnb boasts an impressive 60 million guests, across 34,000 cities, in more than 191 countries. This equates to more than 2 million listings worldwide from hosts willing to offer, in the website’s own words, “a flat for a night, a castle for a week or a villa for a month”. In light of the number of leasehold apartments available in the UK’s housing market, many are being let via Airbnb or similar schemes.

With 25 years of experience in property management, The Property Management Company (PMC) based in Aberdeen has long recognised the importance of equipping its properties with communal TV systems and residents have come to expect it. As a result, all of its 4,500 units have access to TV services through a communal system. With the launch of Sky Q, the very latest in home entertainment, to the public earlier this year, PMC was quick to get in touch with Sky to find out how they could make sure their res