Featured Articles

How important is it for property management firms to belong to the national professional body, the Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA)? In this exclusive feature, News on the Block brings together the contrasting opinions of several managing agents and property professionals, who outline in their own words and from their own experience how they perceive the value of ARMA membership and the role of the organisation. David Hewett, executive secretary of ARMA takes a look at the association’

I’m thinking of buying a house. Well, only for a second, since I live in central London and the only house I could afford would be out in the sticks. But the paradox – that to save money you have to have plenty in the first place – is never more true than when it comes to property. If you can afford a house, you’ll probably have a mega-mortgage to service and higher council tax. But in most other respects you’ll find property ownership cheaper than flat-owners. Although the average flat in London was wort

News On The Block and our team of industry specialists are here to help you with your questions, queries and concerns about the apartment sector. If you have a question you would like answered, please contact us:- BY EMAIL: editor@newsontheblock with “Question” in the subject heading; BY PHONE: 08700 600 663 BY POST: News On The Block, One Great Cumberland Place, Marble Arch, London W1H 7AL As a flat-owner, could you explain what is included in my buildings insurance? The lease will normally requir

A new on-line service www.leaseholder support.co.uk written by surveyors and property managers has been launched by property solution providers, The Ringley Group. This one-stop-shop for self managed blocks contains information on planning budgets and reserves, and legal and valuation procedures to get out of tricky situations, such as defective or short leases or recovery of ground rent/service charge arrears. Due to the property industry charging minimum fees for management, around £2,000 in London,

With the continuing trend towards investing in property showing no signs of slowing down, a leading Swindon law firm has warned that landlords may be caught out by new rules in the licensing of Houses of Multiple Occupation introduced at the end of last year. And it could cost them dearly. House prices are continuing to rise and more people are renting, so investing in a property to let, or to convert into flats to let, is an attractive proposition to many.Nita King, Partner of law firm, Lemon & Co points

Buildings insurance is a major expense, yet it is the marginal addition of a small premium to cover the liabilities of volunteer management company directors that seem to concern lessees more! Natalie Hughes argues that the protection this cover affords is something that all directors should insist upon. Insurance is typically the largest single item of recurring expenditure in a service charge budget and it could be expected that lessees take a keen interest in the policies that directors of their mana

By Ben Lane, News on the Block’s publisher. As a publishing company specialising in the dissemination of good, reliable information to those working in property management, we communicate in many different ways: in print, on-line, by email, by ‘phone and, yes, in face-to-face conversation. Clarity is crucial for effective communication. There is nothing worse than obfuscation. How very annoying it is to listen to 47 different options on a company message service to discover none of them service your que

David Foster explains how the new Work at Height Regulations 2005 affect managing agents and all those working in the residential sector. ‘Working At Height’ conjures up visions of steeplejacks, window cleaners on long ladders, roofers and builders scrambling about on scaffolding. However the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR) apply to all work at height wherever there is a risk of a fall likely to cause injury. This can mean any height above ground level (even inches) where a person could be injure

by Roger Southam, Chief Executive of Chainbow Well, another strange month in the mad whirligig that is residential management! So, there was this block of flats of which some of the owners bought the freehold, and the directors decided it would be a good idea if they took care of the management. After all, the managing agents had been truly awful and how difficult could it be? So, for two years, the directors muddled through. But the service charges went up, they treated the accounts as corporate accoun

Geraldine Shortall, MIRPM, a senior member of the Institute of Residential Property Management (IRPM) Secretariat, examines the opportunities for continuing the professional development of residential property managers. Regular readers of News On The Block may recall an article in issue 25 explaining how the (IRPM) is helping to ensure service standards are maintained via an exam-based portable professional qualification. The question posed then was “Do property managers have sufficient qualifications

When asked if those delivering public services such as housing should be more innovative, one is bound to answer that being entrepreneurial is all very well. But how about all the issues that housing managers deal with on a day-to-day basis, asks Tim West. The following are extracts from a number of letters of complaint sent to various housing managers throughout the UK:- “I wish to report that tiles are missing from the outside toilet roof. I think it was bad wind the other night that blew them off.” “I

Service Charges: Law and Practice Philip Freedman, Eric Shapiro and Brian Slater Now in its fourth edition, is a best-selling guide to the legal framework in which service charges operate. In addition it provides guidance on the management process and related accountancy matters. This new edition provides detailed coverage of the provisions of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 in force, as well as incorporating all new developments and recent case law on such topics as reasonableness, repairs a