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QUESTION We are a management company. Can you please tell me if there is a summons that we can use when a private leaseholder is late, sometimes months, in not getting their annual gas boiler serviced by a Gas Safety registered engineer? It is so frustrating to keep chasing wayward leaseholders, who are in the minority. 90% of residents provide without any prompting.​   ANSWER It’s assumed that the leaseholder is renting out the property so, as a landlord, they are responsible for the safety of their t

QUESTION I am a property owner and have just had notice from my property management company that they have been undercharging me due to them wrongly calculating the square footage of my flat. They are looking for three years’ backdated payment totaling around £1,300. Is this lawful? ANSWER Section 20B(1) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 states that, “If any of the relevant costs taken into account in determining the amount of any service charge were incurred more than 18 months before a demand for pa

You cannot please all the people all the time! This is one of the truest statements I know. It is certainly true when you are dealing with a large population with the potential for differing views. Anyone who has worked in service, and anyone who has tried to lead in anything, knows this. Just think about your favourite team in whatever sport you care to choose. How many times do you  disagree with the manager or tactics? How many times do you hear an outcry on social media and in the press beca

Nearly one third (32%) of Property Managers see technology helping to improve efficiency in the role in years to come, according to research carried out by Brethertons Solicitors. When asked which systems had revolutionised their way of working, Property Managers cited a variety of answers with the most popular being smart phones or tablets, and an online portal proving that the property management industry is keeping up with an ever-increasing mobile world. Substantiating this trend, the proportion of h

Altrincham-based Fortis Developments builds and operates high-end student accommodation in key University cities under the Fortis Student Living brand and has several large-scale residential blocks under construction in Manchester with construction arm, Beaumont Morgan Developments. “I am very pleased to join such a dynamic and forward-thinking group to develop the long-term customer service function for their student accommodation investors and the buy-to-let investors of their residential projects,” s

Louie-Mae, who has extensive industry experience and knowledge, will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of Rhodium, the residence team and the running of all developments. “We are delighted to welcome Louie-Mae to Rhodium,” said Dean Main, the firm’s owner. “The experience and knowledge she brings, coupled with her ambitious attitude will certainly complement our dynamic team and assist with future strategies.”

Scott Tyler is to become Senior Partner of Allsop, with Neil Mackilligin set to stand down as a Partner in March 2016. Tyler, currently Managing Partner of the commercial side of the business, has been a Commercial Investment Agent for over 23 years, eight of which have been at Allsop; the previous 17 were at Savills. Mackilligin, who will retire after over 35 years in the real estate industry, will continue to work with the Commercial Auction Team as a consultant for the foreseeable future. He said: “Sco

Savills has expanded its Prime Estates team with the appointment of Jonathan Channing as a director. Channing, who will lead the block management service, has over 15 years’ experience in property management and joins Savills from Farrar Property Management. John Dyer, director in Savills Prime Estates team, said: “We are delighted Jonathan will be joining the team to focus and further strengthen our block management service. “We have seen a growing demand for this provision and believe that Jonathan’s st

Hometrack, which supplies data and analysis to support decision making in residential property, has made a number of new hires. Alex Rose has joined as Managing Director of Data Analytics. He previously worked for Zoopla and Rightmove, and has 12 years’ experience of working with home builders and housing associations. Ross Allan joins as the public sector Business Development Manager. He has 12 years’ experience working with housing associations, local authorities and support providers, and will play a k

Following the Court of Appeal’s decision in Triplerose Ltd v Broomfield Road it is now law that an RTM company can only manage premises comprising one single building or part of a building. The Right to Manage Federation (RTMF) says it has evidence some landlords are now threatening enforcement action to prevent RTM companies continuing to manage multiple block estates. The RTMF estimates that hundreds of RTM companies throughout England and Wales may be in operational jeopardy. The Federation therefor

A big rise in the number of London tenants with dogs, combined with a lack of supply of flats whose head leases allow pets, is resulting in huge premiums on deposits (up to £25,000+) for properties which do allow them, according to a survey by E J Harris. Ten years ago, none of the lettings firm’s London tenants had dogs, rising to 2% five years ago, and steadily increasing to 30% this year. However, 40% of all Prime Central London flats do not allow dogs because it is written into the head lease. Homes a

A new form has been launched which standardises the information requested when a leasehold property is sold. The standard form, to be known as LPE1 has been backed by a wide range of industry bodies including ARMA, the Law Society and the RICS. Law Society President, Jonathan Smithers explained: "It is important that buyers have a proper understanding of the financial commitment they are taking on when they buy leasehold property. I hope that wider use of the new version of the enquiries will assist the s