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The Association of Chief Police Officers’ Report, “Commercial Cultivation of Cannabis 2012” advises that 7865 Cannabis Farms were located by Police in 2011/12, compared with 6866 in 2009/10. The Report reveals that criminals operating Cannabis Farms are using domestic premises, instead of commercial ones. This development should concern Landlords, since the majority of Cannabis Farms are located in rented properties. Police define Cannabis cultivation as “Commercial” if more than 25 plants are found at

Few subjects generate as much heated debate as the question of subletting in residential apartment blocks. Whether you are an owner occupier, investor landlord, management company or freeholder, you are likely to have to deal with this thorny issue at some point. As ever, the starting point is the lease. Some leases are silent on the question of subletting; others ban subletting altogether. In between, you will find leases which permit subletting to a limited extent, subject to a myriad of different r

WHAT IS LICENCE? Under most residential leases a tenant is required to obtain consent from the landlord and/or the management company before making any alterations to his/her property. It’s a simple process also known as an application for a “Licence for Alterations”. The purpose is to record all works that alter the tenant’s demise and protect the freeholders interests and those of other leaseholders/tenants. Whether or not consent (a licence to alter) is required will be determined by (i) the scope of

QUESTION Dear Sir I am a leaseholder and shareholder of an historic estate west of London. There are three main buildings on the same insurance policy, one Grade I 9 flats , another Grade II 4 flats and the third just 20th century 3 flats. The schedule currently shows the cover and premium for each of the buildings. The Grade I had a major fire five years ago and has not been completely rebuilt (outer walls only) due to the underinsurance and is the subject of a legal case. As there are 3 totally diffe

Today, television fans take for granted advanced functionality such as the ability to pause and rewind live television, record two or more shows at once, or access programmes on demand. However, until recently some apartment residents have not enjoyed an equal status with regard to being able to use such features to their full extent. This is about to change with the introduction of a new and innovative Single Cable Solution (SCS), officially launched by Sky at ARMA’s 18th Annual Conference. This will pr

Chancel repair, the legislation dating from medieval times that allows churches to turn to property and landowners with an historic connection to a church to fund repairs – may yet have a sting in its tail for homeowners. Church councils across England have until 13 October 2013 to register any potential liability to fund the repairs of a church’s chancel. Church councils will not be able to register a chancel repair liability against the title of a property sold after that date, meaning that the buyer c

CPBigwood has acquired DMA Chartered Surveyors based in Eastleigh, Hampshire. The purchase gives the Midlands-based group a foothold in the south that the firm’s board intends to grow. DMA Chartered Surveyors specialises exclusively in residential leasehold property and manages around 3,000 apartments and houses. CPBigwood partner Brett Williams, who led the negotiations, said the acquisition took the number of properties managed by the firm to over 20,000 across 30 counties. “We already look after arou

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AIG) has acquired the Giles Group of Companies (Giles), for £233 million in cash. AJG recently acquired Deacon Insurance, the specialist blocks of flats insurance broker. Giles is an independent retail insurance broker, controlling and influencing gross written premium in excess of £750 million. The firm’s business also includes the insurance of blocks of flats. AJG International CEO, David Ross said: “This transaction represents our largest ever deal in the UK, by some margin

Winckworth Sherwood has been appointed by A2Dominion New Homes as its lead law firm to manage the sale of new homes at Gunmakers Wharf in East London. A2Dominion New Homes is part of the A2Dominion Group, a market leading provider of high quality housing in London and the South East. Gunmakers Wharf, comprising 121 units, sits alongside the Hertford Union Canal and Victoria Park in the East End of London. Ruth Barnes, Partner and Head of Winckworth Sherwood’s Plot Sales team, said: “A2Dominion has trans

Cardinus Risk Management has been granted Certification in accordance with the new BAFE SP205 scheme for organisations that provide Life Safety Fire Risk Assessments. This means that companies commissioning Fire Risk Assessments from Cardinus can be confident that the services are relevant and of a high standard. James Truscott, managing director of Cardinus property division, said: “The granting of the BAFE scheme SP205 award, in addition to our existing affiliation with the Institute of Fire Engineers,

Despite, the fact that two thirds of Brits think they’re paying too much for their energy bills, a new survey shows that many of us are still carelessly wasting huge amounts of energy and heat from our homes. Three quarters of the 2,040 UK adults questioned by Anglian Home Improvements said they are frustrated by the year-on-year increase in energy costs, yet 13% admit they have the heating on when they are not in the house and the same number confess to opening windows when the heating is on. In fact, 1

Residential Management Group (RMG) has been appointed by fledgling property developer, Sherrygreen Homes, to manage ‘The Link’ - a prestigious boutique-style development located on City Road in London.  In addition to the normal responsibilities associated with being a Managing Agent, RMG’s Customer Contact Centre (CCC) in Northwich will initially operate as Sherrygreen Homes’ customer service department and be residents’ first point of contact for repair issues. Deborah Davis, Residential Sales Manager