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Residents Insurance Services Limited, the specialist residential property insurance broker and part of the Gray’s Inn Estates property group, has appointed Afzal Kabiri to head up new business opportunities. Afzal has 11 years’ experience in the insurance industry as an underwriter with composite insurers including Aviva, RSA and Zurich. More recently Afzal worked as a wholesale broker specialising in property owners insurance.

Ninety-one chalets at a South Wales holiday park were let on 99-year leases, the terms of which were broadly similar across the park and each with a start date of 25 December 1974. Under the leases, the landlord was required to provide maintenance services such as the mowing of grass and removal of refuse on payment of a service charge by the tenants. For the first year in each lease, the service charge was £90; in the first 70 leases granted at the park, this sum could be increased by 10% every three yea

Changes to the tax system, designed to limit the advantage buy-to-let owners have over those purchasing their own home, will drive landlords out of the property market and push rents up. That’s the view of Karim Goudiaby, Chief Executive Officer of EasyRoommate, responding to changes announced by Chancellor George Osborne, including tax-relief on rented homes being cut from 40% or 45% to a basic rate of 20%, which are due to be phased in from April 2017. Goudiaby says the majority of landlords are in for

The Cadogan Estate has launched Cadogan Concierge, a complimentary 24-hour luxury lifestyle service offered across the entire estate of luxury homes and commercial offices. Cadogan Concierge staff will be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with services offered including sourcing tickets to sold-out events, arranging personal shopping, organising wellbeing requirements such as nutritionists and personal trainers, and dry cleaning. A Head Concierge and Lifestyle Manager will be based at the Cadogan

Saga Home Insurance has released a list of the most out-of-the-ordinary and noteworthy claims they have received. They include a customer’s house in Co. Durham being hit by lightning during a storm in July 2015, causing damage to the rendering on the gable. Meanwhile a couple who kept bird seeds in plastic containers in their garage got a shock when the containers spontaneously combusted causing £36,000 worth of damage to the outbuilding itself and its contents. One policyholder was having her cavity wall

Qube Global Software has developed a unified management tool for the Private Rented Sector. PRS developers will be able to run their entire property operations - from attracting tenants and processing tenancies to long term maintenance and financial management of their schemes - on a software solution, from one provider. John Cuppello, Chief Executive of Qube Global Software, said: “A large proportion of leading commercial and residential property investors are adopting the PRS model. We’ve responded quic

Government proposals to introduce property tribunal fees are causing serious concern within the leasehold sector. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has held a consultation into new or increased fees in a range of court and tribunal proceedings. These include the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), where it is proposed applicants will pay £100 to issue proceedings and £200 for their matter to be listed for a hearing. Leasehold enfranchisement and valuation cases, however, would be subject to fees of £400 t

When was the last time you had experience from a Concierge service? Was it in a hotel, a residential block of flats or at work? How often have you been greeted in the polite manner of an opening and welcoming question, such as ‘How may I help you?’ In my opinion, such welcomes do not happen often enough. Also, I often experience Concierge service that is way below my expectations – for example, Concierge not standing up when greeting anyone at the Reception desk, Concierge not offering assistance in carry

Every year more blocks appear on the skyline. Apartment living is the future for many, especially Londoners, and the quality of design has lead to some really exciting living spaces. However, isn’t it time to overhaul both strategies and attitudes towards block lighting. It may sound like a minor aspect, in the architectural game plan, until something goes wrong, then block managers have to deal with the consequences. Time and again poorly specified fittings and controls installed by developers fail far t

QUESTION I have just bought the freehold interest of a block in which there is a Right to Manage company which was formed about 18 months ago because of problems with the former freeholder.  As the new freeholder, I have written to the Board of the RTM company requesting membership of the RTM company.  I have also sent each of the flat owners ‘lessee information forms’ – asking for their contact details and the details of their tenants / managing agents etc. if they are not resident in the flat.  Althoug

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 In answering your question, it's assumed that the leaseholder is renting out the property so, as a landlord, they are responsible fo

QUESTION News on the Block recently carried an item concerning legislation expected to take effect in October concerning new alarms legislation. Landlords were to be required to install working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in their properties. Can you advise whether this is now law or when this will come into effect? ANSWER Landlords must comply with new Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations on 1 October The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 come into force on 1st Octobe