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.

Warning as HMRC cracks down on R&D tax relief

Businesses are being warned that HMRC is cracking down on potentially fraudulent claims for research and development (R&D) tax relief.  The tax credits are aimed at companies investing in innovation. The Government has rewarded them for this through the rebate of up to 27 per cent of R&D costs and they can then use the cash to help them sustain and grow the business. But HMRC claims the system has been abused over recent years and at the height of the pandemic, more than £1bn was lost to error and fraud i

Hamptons Announces strategic partnership with BTR specialist Birchgrove

Leading estate agent Hamptons is pleased to announce a new partnership with Birchgrove, the award-winning specialist provider of retirement properties. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in offering a unique proposition for those seeking quality senior rental living within the vibrant communities around the M25. With a shared vision for excellence and an unwavering commitment to the well-being of residents, Hamptons and Birchgrove are set to redefine retirement living. Birchgrove's innova

Are Block Managers Regulated?

In short, no….It’s a completely unregulated industry. There are a number of regulatory organisations that block managers can join but this is entirely voluntary. This includes: The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) The Institute of Residential Property Management (IRPM) The Chartered Institute of Chartered Institute of Housing. The Institute of Health and Safety. The Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA) Financial Conduct Authority Do managing agent have to be qualifi

Empowering Change: The Active Bystander Conference by the Hollie Gazzard Trust

Did you know that an investigation by UN Women UK (2022) found that 97% of women ages 18-24 had been sexually harassed, with a further 96% not reporting those situations because of the belief it would not change anything.   22% of girls aged 7-12 have experienced jokes of a sexual nature from boys.   Therefore, in the pursuit of creating a safer and more supportive community, the Hollie Gazzard Trust is gearing up to host the Active Bystander Conference at Hartpury University in Gloucester on 10th July 20

ELM Group welcomes new board members

ELM Group announces the appointment of Paul Milner and John Osborn to its board as it enters an unprecedented period of growth. The appointments have been made to add further expertise to the board as the property management company continues to transition following a major property acquisition which doubled the number of its managed and owned property across the country. After acquiring 1,368 units of retirement property from housing provider Orbit in November 2023, the organisation has been onboarding t

Flat London market sees apartments account for 49% of all sales

The latest research by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed that Wandsworth was London’s busiest borough for home sales over the last year, accounting for 6% of the 48,278 homes sold across the capital, while flats were the most popular property type accounting for half of all sales.  Benham and Reeves analysed sold price data from the Land Registry looking at sales to have completed across the London market (Jan to Dec 2023 - latest available), which boroughs proved the most

The Hill Group strengthens senior team with new Head of Land

Award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group has appointed Chris Santer as the company’s new Head of Land. In his role, Chris is responsible for residential land acquisitions across the East of England in support of Hill’s five-year business plan and growth strategy, prioritising short- to medium-term projects that can achieve planning approval and commence construction within a three-year window. Chris’ geographical area will include Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk,

Fire Safety in the Clouds: PS&B's Portsmouth Launch

PS&B celebrated the addition of a block and estate management offering to their Portsmouth office with a sky-high event at the iconic Spinnaker Tower last month.  Guests – who were predominantly RMC directors –  were treated to an array of delicious canapés that certainly lived up to expectations. A straw poll revealed the smoked salmon tartlets as crowd favourites, winning over hearts and stomachs alike. Beyond the allure of the free bar and delicious food, attendees were captivated by a presentation on

Abloy UK strengthens growing team with three new staff appointments

Abloy UK has further strengthened its growing team with the appointment of three new members of staff. Hinna Khan, Matt Pendlebury, and Tim Remment will be showcasing the company’s digital access control portfolio and demonstrating the benefits of these solutions for specific sectors. Hinna Khan Hinna is Market Development Manager for Critical Infrastructure, specialising in the Water sector. Her role involves looking after key accounts for the south region, growing opportunities with existing customers a

Rendall & Rittner appoints new Head of Consultancy

Leading property management agent Rendall & Rittner has recently promoted Ross Facta to the position of Head of Consultancy. Ross’ role will see him lead on the consultancy of a range of residential and mixed-use projects from concept design through to ongoing management. Ross began his career in property, managing the acquisition and refurbishment of property investments in cities across the world including London, New York, Chicago and Panama. Following this, Ross joined Rendall & Rittner in 2018 as a S

Sigma Capital and Simple Life bolsters Asset Management team with four new starters

Leading build-to-rent provider Sigma Capital Group has announced the appointment of four new team members, following landmark growth of the business. Under its private build-to-rent (BTR) brand, Simple Life, the four additions will be involved in directly driving the growth of the Simple Life portfolio.  All new starters will join the Asset Management teams in London and Manchester respectively, to help Sigma deliver its pipeline of thousands of new homes and supporting key partnerships. Judi Zouhbi has j

Earning passive income from Buy to Let is a myth says property expert

As cost-of-living pressures ease and mortgage rates start to fall, landlords may be tempted back to the Buy to Let market, but they should be wary of the myth that earning a passive income from property is easy, writes Charlie Davidson, a residential property expert with London law firm Bishop & Sewell. Buy to Let mortgage statistics from the ONS suggest there are around 2.74 million landlords in the UK, although the sector has shrunk in recent years as landlords have faced higher mortgage costs and in

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