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Tenants’ associations are being given the right to gain contact information from their landlord so they can reach out to other residents in their block with a view to joining the association. The move will boost the power of tenants’ associations, which have the right to be consulted on issues such as the appointment of managing agents and the level of service charges, and have the right to appoint a surveyor for advice. Under Section 130 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016, the secretary of a tenants’ a

A strengthened updated code designed to protect those living in retirement housing came into force on 1st June. The code of practice, sets out the statutory obligations for managers and the best practice they should follow. This underpins the Association of Retirement Housing Managers (ARHM) aims and objectives for raising standards in leasehold retirement housing and consequently improving the lives of older residents. The code will also promote a change in the relationship between manager and leaseholde

Freeholders will be breathing a collective sigh of relief following the recent Supreme Court decision in Edwards v Kumarasamy. The Court decided a landlord is not liable for his tenant’s injuries, occurring from a failure to satisfy repairing obligations, unless prior notice of the defect was received. The case concerned a landlord, Mr Kumarasamy, who held the head lease of a block of flats. Mr Edwards, an assured shorthold tenant of a flat, sued claiming damages for personal injury. This was allegedly su

Managing new build apartments is always a challenge. But when you have 600 highly demanding residents from 120 different countries moving in on the same day, there really is no room for error (pun intended). As TeamGB return from Rio with an unbelievably impressive medal haul, and with the Paraylympic Games due to commence shortly, here’s an all-to-familiar Olympic inspired reminder of some of the major problems faced by property managers: 1. Noisy Neighbours By far, the most complained about issue we he

QUESTION The block of flats in which I live consists of 32 flats, (31 leasehold and 1 manager). You will no doubt know that leaseholders share the cost of communal electricity.  We currently are in dispute with management regarding a considerable sum of money owed due to underpayment for several years.  Our budget forecast for financial year 2016/17 is £9,587.00 which is a considerable more than the 10 years up to 2013 when average annual cost was around £3,400.00. As the landlord has complete control ove

Charlie Kemble-Davies has joined the surveying team at Finnegan Property Services – the third this year – to help meet an ever-increasing demand for the firm’s expertise. A Chartered Building Surveyor with 10 years’ experience in the industry, Charlie began his career with an architectural practice in London, working on high-end residential properties. He later joined a commercial practice in Central London, where he was able to develop his skills in a broader range of building surveying disciplines and q

A property management specialist from Sheffield’s Taylor&Emmet LLP is to share her experience and expertise at a national workshop for leaseholders, held in the city next month. Solicitor, Cassandra Zanelli, the firm’s head of property management, will be one of three keynote speakers at the National Leasehold Group’s First Tier Tribunal Masterclass. This one day workshop, aimed at property officers and managers, will take place at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane ground on September 14. It will provide an

If you were embarking on a development scheme with sales of apartments via long leases, what terms would you want in these leases to ensure that the building delivers the best return on investment and is easy to manage from both a managing agent and freeholder perspective? Julie Carr, Head of Real Estate Development at Brady Solicitors, sets out some key points for both developers and property managers.   “As the developer, you have the opportunity to create residential leases that will make the building

ARMA (the Association of Residential Managing Agents) is delighted to announce the appointment of former government minister Sally Keeble as its new Independent Regulator.  Sally will chair the Regulatory Panel which oversees ARMA members and determines disciplinary outcomes of cases involving member firms. ARMA is the leading trade association for residential leasehold managing agents in England and Wales.  It works to achieve the highest standards of leasehold property management and campaigns for impro

Momentum is key for any networking group and next Thursday 11th sees the Young Leasehold Professionals (YLP) host their 3rd networking event at Sway Bar, WC2B 5BZ from 6:30-11pm. They are expecting around 50 firms to attend which represents real growth from what was initially expected to be a small networking group. The event is being sponsored by Mcdowalls Surveyors who have put £1,000 behind the bar, so you are advised to get there early to avoid disappointment. If you would like to attend please contac

The Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners' (ALEP) autumn conference is taking place on Monday 10 October 2016 at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Portland Place, London W1B 1AD. Anna Bailey, Director of ALEP, said: “Once again we are looking forward to hosting an exceptional line up of speakers delivering insightful presentations on all aspects of leasehold. This conference will also provide delegates with greater opportunities for debate and discussion on current issues

Millstream Management Services (MMS), the leading provider of retirement housing management services in the UK, has celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a special event at its Head Office in Ringwood. Staff from across the region gathered to mark the occasion and were presented with a special Birthday Cake to mark a decade of growth and success. From its humble beginnings in 2006, MMS has grown to manage 128 retirement housing developments nationally, looking after 4,935 apartments and providing services