Featured Articles

The concept of being "airtight" in the context of buildings refers to how well a building's envelope –consisting of its exterior components such as walls, floors, roofs, external doors and windows – is sealed. A tightly sealed building envelope tightly minimises or even eliminates unwanted air leakage. How does technology allow us to test and improve the airtightness in a building such as a block of flats?  First, I look at the importance of achieving airtightness.  Why is airtightness important?  Co

Proptech is maturing and now impacts our relationship with all buildings, whether they are our homes, places of work, or we have a management and maintenance responsibility for them.  IoT (Internet of Things) can now connect everyday items to the internet, aiming to automate or enhance our lives (see internet connected toasters or kettles saving us precious morning minutes). We can control home security or our climate control systems remotely, with AI increasingly taking over those responsibilities. As bu

An analysis of historic crime statistics from over 50’s property specialists, Quickmove Properties, reveals that police forces in England & Wales can expect a 17% uptick in antisocial behaviour this Halloween.  Quickmove Properties has analysed crime statistics in England & Wales since 2013 to see how Halloween, and the mischief often related to it, affects the rate of reported antisocial behaviour incidents in October compared to the monthly average for the rest of year. Examples of antisocial behaviour

We are delighted to introduce our newest team member Iza Albutt who is joining as a Senior Recruitment Consultant.   Iza relocated several years ago from South Africa where she was involved in the property industry in recruitment and training.  Before her career in recruitment, Iza was in Account Management and Relationship Management for Property and Bridging Companies.   Now based in the beautiful area of Surrey, Iza is focused on recruitment in the residential property sector.  Her professionalism,

A Bournemouth MP has called for a regulatory gap to be closed after a property management company collapsed, leaving thousands of residents, property owners, and contractors out of pocket. Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West, raised the issue of Initiative Property Management in the House of Commons, suggesting that the company may not have fallen under the regulatory framework of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Mr Burns said that residents had seen building works on their blocks cease and had bee

Chime Technologies Inc (Chime), a leading US property management software provider, has launched its LoftyWorks platform in the UK. LoftyWorks is a plug-and-play solution that integrates automated marketing with cutting-edge communications and a "one source of truth" approach to financial data. LoftyWorks is the result of three years of development and combines the best of UK and US know-how in property management and CRM. Chime acquired Rentancy Ltd in 2022, bringing with it an established UK-focused sof

Two apartment blocks in Woolwich, south-east London, have been ordered to be demolished after it was discovered that they were built in breach of planning conditions. The high-rise blocks in the Mast Quay Phase II development were "substantially different" to the approved plans, Greenwich Council said. The council said there were "at least" 26 deviations to the plans originally approved in 2012. The developer, Comer Homes Group, can appeal against the decision, but if the demolition order is upheld, it wi

MRI Software, a global leader in real estate software solutions, and OSCRE International, a nonprofit consortium focused on the development and implementation support of real estate data standards, announced that the MRI Agora platform will use the OSCRE Industry Data Model™ (IDM) to help clients improve strategic decision-making and reporting and easily integrate disparate software applications.   “MRI and OSCRE have a shared mission to improve data quality and consistency and ease the burden of integrat

Following recent success in the Legal 500 listings, JB Leitch receives further accreditation in the Chambers Rankings for 2024. The Chambers & Partners UK Guide for the year 2024, the most researched Guide to date, was launched last week and it has been confirmed that specialist property firm JB Leitch has been ranked for the first time. Chambers and Partners has been the leading source of independent legal market intelligence for over 30 years, providing a listing for the top ranked lawyers and law fi

The government’s more landlord-friendly approach on encouraging residential landlords to meet minimum energy efficiency standards has been welcomed by Principle Estate Management. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Mr Sunak has announced that no legislation will be introduced requiring property owners to make energy efficiency improvements, known as EPC ratings. And he also pledged that extra money would be made available to those who wanted to replace their gas boilers with heat pumps. Lauren O’Brien, head of le

The UK is facing a bed bug epidemic, with pest control companies reporting a surge in infestations in recent years. Bed bugs are small, parasitic insects that feed on human blood. They are typically found in mattresses, bedding, and furniture, and can be brought into your home on luggage, clothing, or even secondhand furniture. Bed bug bites can be itchy and uncomfortable, and can sometimes lead to infection. While bed bugs are not known to transmit disease, they can cause significant distress and sleep d

A national trade body is urging householders to take steps to prevent rats seeking refuge in their homes from flooding. Areas across the UK have been hit by localised flooding, some very severe in parts, following the arrival of Storm Babet.  British Pest Control Association (BPCA), is urging householders to take preventative steps now to avoid the risk of an infestation. Dee Ward-Thompson, BPCA Head of Technical, said: “Each year winter weather forces some rats to seek warmer, indoor spaces near a source