Featured Articles

Get the answers to your questions and stay up to date about apartment building management with our featured articles and NOTB guides, on topics such as service charges, right to manage, buying your freehold, major works, building insurance and other issues about blocks of flats.

Crown Property Management has been appointed to manage a flagship Quayside development in Exmouth

Crown Property Management has been appointed to manage a flagship Quayside development in Exmouth.  The Estate has 266 Leasehold & Freehold properties along with various commercial units.  Darren Stocks founder of Crown Property Management said "we are so pleased to have been selected and we are certain that the services we provide meets the needs of clients and residents and we are committed to upholding the highest standards at Exmouth Quay". Furthermore Mr Stocks added  "Our staff have been key i

Principle Estate Management expands portfolio with retirement developments

Principle Estate Management have been appointed on three separate retirement developments with properties in London, Oxford and Worcestershire, including two RTM-led developments and a corporate client.   Joe Jobson, joint managing director, said "We're getting more enquiries for retirement living schemes and our wide range of expertise and extra-personal service within our business development and property management teams lends itself particularly well to the needs of this type of development. We’re ple

Airspace success story: Fruition Properties launches innovative development Print Makers

Award-winning London developer Fruition Properties has launched Print Makers, its boutique new development of nine apartments in the heart of Bermondsey, delivered using innovative airspace construction. Launched to high levels of buyer interest, the development plays a key part in the regeneration of the local area. Designed by renowned architects TP Bennett and Farrells, the ambitious airspace development provides a mixture of high specification two- and three-bedroom apartments all with balconies or te

Is the clock ticking on insurance commission payments to managing agents?

The Government has issued a consultation on introducing permitted insurance fees for landlords, freeholders and property managing agents. In this article we explore the arrangements between the various parties involved in taking out buildings insurance on multi-occupied properties, and look at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) findings on how much commission is typically being paid. Placekeeper does not take any commission payments for placing insurance, as we regard arranging insurance cover as formi

The Leasehold and Commonhold Reform statement – What are the key takeaways?

Since the Law Commission reported in January 2020 Brady Solicitors have been commenting on the expected leasehold reform. Following the statement on 21 November 2024 from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Matthew Pennycook, we look at some of the key information we can take away from it. Brief Background The Act has been controversial throughout its development following the Law Commission’s recommendations published in July 2020. Having been included in the ‘wash up’ process of almost compl

Is it fair? The pitfalls of leasehold in shared ownership schemes

There has been much talk over the past few years about leasehold reform, with the term ‘fleecehold’ getting thrown around. The term is often used interchangeably when commenting on the rising cost of service charges to ordinary leaseholders, implying freeholders or managing agents are ‘fleecing’ them, and profiting as part of the process.  However, this is inaccurate. Notwithstanding a small minority who may use some unscrupulous practices to directly benefit from certain costs leaseholders pay toward, th

Host of rental living experts join the ARL as new Special Advisors

The Association for Rental Living (ARL) has announced the appointment of more than a dozen rental living sector experts as Special Advisors to the organisation. In total, 14 sector leaders and innovators have been appointed as of the ARL Annual General Meeting on 26th November 2024, with two further appointments expected shortly. As the membership body for all institutionally backed, professionally managed purpose-built rental living sectors, the ARL plays a crucial role in amplifying and unifying the sec

Dangerous cladding – questions raised by Remediation Acceleration Plan

The government has published its Remediation Acceleration Plan, and pledges that dangerous cladding will be fixed on all high-rise buildings on Government schemes within the next five years. The plan sets out that by the end of 2029, all buildings over 18 metres tall – defined as high-rise – with unsafe cladding that are on a Government scheme will have been remediated. Every building over 11 metres tall with unsafe cladding will have been remediated, have a date for completion or landlords will be liable

Issue 134 - Online Now

Issue 134 of News on the Block has now been published and is available for subscribers to read online. This issue of News on the Block includes a special Property Management Awards 2024 winners feature. Some of the articles in this issue include:  Government leasehold plans are given a broad welcome The brains behind The Gym Lounge Careful what you wish for - Are green initiatives actually better when it comes to protecting your residential properties? Building your resident engagement strategy How I

Payne Hicks Beach wraps 2024 with news hires and growth at the top

Payne Hicks Beach announces the three new Partners in key roles across Private Client and Property. Peter Lamb joins joined the Property team as a Partner earlier this year with expertise in commercial property law. Peter has worked on a broad range of transactions for major organisations, entrepreneurs and individuals and covers various aspects of commercial property law domestically and internationally. Phineas Hirsch joins the Private Client team adding his international expertise to the renowned team

Utopi and Spaceflow Partner to Revolutionise Resident Experience

Utopi, a leader in data solutions and ESG technology, today announced a strategic partnership with Spaceflow, the premier tenant experience platform for residential, commercial, and mixed-use properties. This groundbreaking collaboration unites two award-winning PropTech pioneers, poised to redefine the resident experience within the Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) sector. By integrating Utopi’s granular, real-time data and control capabilities with Spaceflow’s cutting-edge tenant experience ap

Co-living boom offers a fresh solution to London’s housing crisis – research finds

Co-living developments are gaining momentum in London, offering a modern solution to the capital’s housing challenges, according to new research findings by Lichfields. The report, A New Way to Live: Co-living in London, highlights the sector’s ongoing growth and benefits while calling for greater policy support to ensure its long-term success. Whilst only 25% of London boroughs have adopted or are developing planning policies which explicitly support co-living, the sector is thriving. Of 34 large-scale c

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