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This year is a crunch year for the rental market, as it must implement the requirements of the Housing Act and the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and, at the Annual Conference of the Association of Residential Letting Agents, ARLA, in London recently delegates were asked if they are ready. Officials from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and the Disability Rights Commission asked delegates to consider, "2006 is crunch time. Can you cope with the new regulatory regimes coming into force

We’ve a tendency to delude ourselves that what we do in this country sets a paradigm for the rest of the world. But our leasehold system is uniquely British. And the rest of the world does not envy it. Regarding ourselves as a property-owning democracy, we're puzzled that so many Europeans still rent their flats. But if you're a leaseholder, you're a tenant too - you just pay all your rent up-front. And, once your 99-year tenancy expires, your flat goes back to the landlord so he can let it to someone els

Another string to Chainbow Residential property manager Chainbow has launched a revolutionary new website for residents. The site is designed to address the lack of information typically available to tenants by providing transparent, easily accessible data and resources. The website's secure residents' portal includes information such as minutes from residents' meetings and accounts, outlining how the service charge is being spent. It also provides residents with a generic copy of their lease for referen

Many people consider a faceless agency that demands money (the taxman is a typical example) as the enemy. Many managing agents find themselves in this position because very few lessees know who they are, and even fewer have met them. Therefore, the moment that managing agents demand money, they are disliked. When they chase for it, instructing lawyers if need be, they are vilified. This position is often worsened because few managing agents smooth service charge collection with telephone calls, and many

“There has been a clear pick-up in investor activity towards the end of 2005. Landlords have been expanding their portfolios steadily and expect them to grow by a further 3% over the coming year.” John Heron, managing director, Paragon Mortgages “The market has begun to show signs of positive growth and both buyers and sellers are returning to the marketplace.” Nick Clark, Managing Director, The Homebuyer Show

National house prices rose slightly in January, according to the latest Hometrack survey, the impetus coming from London where continuing improvement in demand resulted in average prices rising by 0.2%. The average national price for an apartment/ maisonette in January was £125,400. Despite the modest growth in the wake of the festive season, homebuyers are putting their confidence back in the housing market this year, with almost 80% expecting UK house prices to rise in 2006. Halifax is predicting 3% an

After purchasing a freehold, many leaseholders consider how best to amend their lease so as to reflect the changed ownership circumstances or perhaps just to update them. In an ideal world however, lease variations should be agreed when leaseholders are entering into the participation agreement prior to committing to buy their freehold. By Rowena Wilson. Proposed variations to the lease can be set out in a Deed of Variation. The Deed of Variation will need to be registered at HM Land Registry against ea

The concept of a landlord having to consult with tenants prior to carrying out works was introduced by section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. In this article Alan Edwards explains how this area of legislation has subsequently developed. Save for any contractual requirements to consult which may be set out in a lease, a landlord’s requirement to consult with tenants prior to carrying out "works" was introduced by section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Section 151 of The Commonhold and L

Homebuilding on previously developed land has hit a new record high of 72 per cent, new figures from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister reveal. The proportion of new homes built on brownfield sites has reached an all-time record level of 72%- up from 56% in 1997, and up a further 2% on the previous count. Meanwhile, the average density of new homes remains at 40dph (dwellings per hectare), up from 25dph in 1997. The new statistics are based on changes in land use recorded for the ODPM by Ordnance Su

The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) has announced its concerns over the almost total lack of knowledge and understanding among consumers about how home information packs (HIPs) will affect the sale of property. Feedback from its members at a variety of HIPs road shows has highlighted concerns that the general public is largely unaware of the introduction of HIPs, even with the volume of recent media coverage on the subject, with few understanding the implications HIPs will have on the buying

BREAKING NEWS NEW PROPERTY SERVICE Property management website Avenue was launched by Peverel OM Ltd almost a year ago. A recent survey shows that approximately 90% of residents used the site, with the majority saying that it is easy to use and saves valuable time. Avenue is the first of its kind in the residential block management industry, and has now undergone some changes amid positive feedback from residents across the UK. It offers residents instant on-line access to development information, doc

BREAKING NEWS THE LANDLORD SHOW Thursday 22 March 2007, Olympia Conference Centre, London The Landlord Show at Olympia is the UK's premier private residential landlord event. It features the UK's most comprehensive landlord exhibition, providing the private rented sector with unparalleled access to landlord suppliers, advisors, government bodies and associations. The Landlord Show also includes a series of free seminars featuring industry experts speaking on diverse topics. If you're looking for exper