Featured Articles

News on the Block reports on the 12th annual ARMA conference, and considers how far the event has come since the inaugural gathering in 1996. This year’s annual conference of the Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA) was a far cry from its first event in 1996. Twelve years ago there were a mere 75 delegates, last month there were more than 520; the first venue was a small hotel on the A1 north of London, now it is at the flagship venue of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Central Lon

John Mills from the Association of Retirement Housing Managers (ARHM) discusses what the digital switchover means for the UK’s elderly population. The prospect of digital switchover is a major concern for managers and residents of retirement housing. With an average age of owners reaching nearly 80 and many in their 90s with no close relatives, some could be left without any TV pictures. There may be a new generation of silver surfers but many owners of retirement housing are not bothered about the multit

Samantha Simpson, property manager at Countrywide Property Management, explains the specific challenges when managing property that happens to float on water. There is a bit of Arthur Ransome in most of us, and messing about in boats is one of our favourite national pastimes. Whether we’re serious sailors, weekenders, or simply someone who enjoys a gin and tonic watching the world go by as they sit on their static craft – like us, our boats need a home, somewhere to be moored. From gin palaces and sle

It has been an action packed month. We have had Resi ‘07 down at Celtic Manor in Newport, Wales, which was the first major conference for the residential sector. Thank goodness that at long last it appears the importance of block management is starting to move up the agenda. Mainly because of the potential for adverse situations to arise if it is not done properly. Chainbow has played host to the Department of Communities and Local Government for a day to show them what block management entails and to hig

Welcome to the second volume of The Little Red Book – who’s who in property management. The directory lists more than 130 managing agents, as well as providing expert advice on how to select the right managing agent for your block, what questions you should be asking and what to do if your relationship with your current agent breaks down. As well as publishing News on the Block magazine, we have launched a new website at www.yourblockonline.com – this provides an innovative new service that allows residen

Whether purpose-built or a converted house, buildings containing long leasehold flats do not manage themselves, writes David Hewett of the Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA). The management of long leasehold residential property is a complex business requiring a full understanding of the structure and meaning of leases, a thorough knowledge of the statutory requirements of the various landlord and tenant legislation and compliance with the recognised Codes of Practice. In addition, the

How to cut through the minefield of managing agents. Richard Benson provides his expert advice on the questions you should ask. When choosing a managing agent, you can be faced with a minefield of agents to choose from, but how do you know who will provide you with the best service? How long has the company been managing blocks of flats? You need to establish that they are a competent managing agent and that they manage properties similar to yours. Find out the structure of the property management team,

With more than 500 managing agents operating in the UK, choosing the one that is right for your block can be a daunting experience. Peter Merriman from Stiles Harold Williams explains what you should consider when making the decision... * Once you have short-listed your managing agents and held a beauty parade, what are the most important criteria to help you make your choice? After all, a lot of what you will have seen from different agents will be similar particularly if you are looking at firms who ar

Over the years we’ve learnt a great deal from RMC directors about their experiences with managing agents and here’s what some of them have to say… “An effective managing agents role is to get things done around the block – to be proactive rather than reactive; some of the agents we’ve dealt with in the past haven’t even been that!” “Simple things like block maintenance are one of the primary factors where agents have failed in the past and it just goes downhill from there and spirals out of control.” “

The FPRA’s chief executive officer, John Peartree, considers what actions should be taken if your managing agent is underperforming. First, be sure that you really do want to fire your agent. Are they really guilty of serious misdemeanours or are you simply taking for granted their strong points and focusing on possibly lesser important areas of weakness? If you are unhappy with aspects of your agent’s performance then tell them! Tell them firmly, tell them what standards they must achieve to overcome th

A managing agent is responsible for a wide variety of aspects of block life, from ensuring essential maintenance is regularly carried out to a high standard at the best possible cost to residents, to making sure residents abide by leasehold regulations and are keeping their service charge payments up to date. A good agent can also dramatically affect the value of a property within a block of flats, while at the same time a negligent agent can just as easily have an adverse influence on flat prices within

Fire, flood, faulty workmanship, an electrical fault, high winds, lightning strikes, and accidental damage to residential buildings are just a few of the things which can result in people being left homeless, whether for a few hours, a few months, or longer. During the last year alone, the company re-housed 1,700 people following minor and major incidents, including in the aftermath of the explosions at Buncefield, which rendered properties uninhabitable for more than 24 hours. The company was also a lea