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It’s finally that time - the eagerly awaited shortlist for the PMAs 2023 is here!  News on the Block are excited to announce the shortlist for the Property Management Award 2023.  The awards recognise excellence in the property management industry, and the shortlist features some of the most innovative and successful companies from across our sector.  Our judges have spent a lot of time reviewing all entries and meeting to confirm the final shortlist for 2023. We would like to extend our thanks to all of

Abloy UK has supplied its SMARTair access control system to Your Apartment for its new aparthotel based in the centre of Milton Keynes. The system provides flexible and easy-to-use access for its 65 one-bed and studio apartments and gym. Your Apartment is a rapidly growing serviced apartment and aparthotel operator based in the UK. They champion a considered, tech driven and design-led approach with over 300 serviced apartments across Bristol, London and Milton Keynes. Your Apartment – Milton Keynes is th

Fifth Dimension AI, the company amplifying exceptional real estate professionals, today announces that it has raised £2.3 million in a pre seed round as it comes out of a pilot phase, ready to transform an industry which has struggled to embrace the digital age.   Ellie uses automated processes and machine learning to support document heavy and data-filled industries like real estate. The business believes that Large Language Models (LLMs) can unlock the exceptional in people, taking away the time consumi

As Keir Starmer addressed the Labour party conference today, Claire Petricca-Riding Head of Planning & Environment at Irwin Mitchell made the following comments : “What the country needs is a vision, a strategy showing a new direction after the cancelling of HS2 or what some have described as ‘cancelling the future’. What Labour says it will provide is the framework to build a new Britain and at the heart of it will be the increase in housing  - providing a safe home for all generations – to get Britain b

Research conducted by communications consultancy, Cavendish Consulting and YouGov, reveals that just 11% of UK MPs would prioritise the development of new Build-to-Rent (BTR) homes in their constituencies - despite the demand for rental properties being high. The research asked MPs across all parties about their constituency housing focuses and most strikingly, BTR homes ranked only 7th out of eight listed housing options in terms of priority. 63% of Conservative MPs prioritised private sale housing with

HMRC has warned landlords against a tax avoidance scheme that claims to reduce their tax liability. The scheme involves transferring properties to a limited liability partnership (LLP) with a corporate member. The LLP then allocates profits on a discretionary basis to members. HMRC says that the scheme does not work and that landlords who use it may have to pay more tax than they tried to avoid. The scheme is also caught by a number of anti-avoidance rules. HMRC is urging landlords who are using the schem

London law firm Bishop & Sewell LLP has promoted two talented lawyers, in a move which significantly strengthens the firms’ dispute resolution and residential property teams.   Associate Charles Jamieson has been promoted to Senior Associate in the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution team. A highly experienced dispute resolution specialist, Charles handles a mixed Chancery practice focusing on business, property and contentious probate matters, including breaches of contract, partnership and share

The prospect of managing agents facing multiple group actions from leaseholders, resulting in their paying out significant, potentially ruinous damages, grows ever nearer, as new legislation outlaws the historic practices of managing agents in relation to insurance commissions.  opens the floodgates for historic claims. Indeed for some managing agents, the prospect of heading to court is already a reality. “We are already seeing some claims being pursued by leaseholders following Michael Gove’s recent foc

Residential property management company, Encore, has announced its membership of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM). The move will see Encore’s facilities management leaders and site teams, including Head Concierges and Building Managers, provided with IWFM training, qualifications, and individual memberships.  Few other leading estate management companies are members of the IWFM or offer employees its comprehensive range of courses and qualifications.  Encore considers the IWFM m

Retirement property management company and freeholder ELM Group announces the appointment of Stephen Darling as its new Director of Service Improvement. Stephen, who joined ELM Group earlier this month, will step into the newly created role which will be pivotal in supporting the company’s significant growth plans, set to take effect towards the end of the year. He will be working closely with the company’s Chief Executive Lorraine Collis and other members of the Executive Team, ensuring that team structu

Cannon Jones provides a full range of residential property management services, managing developments of all sizes from ten unit apartments to large complex, mixed use residential developments and housing estates throughout the Warwickshire and Midland regions.  Based in Henley-in-Arden, they have been trading for the past 9 months and have established a service charge and ground rent portfolio of 66 developments, totalling 2062 residential units and employ a team of 9 staff including 3 site-based Estate

Issue 127 of News on the Block has now been published and is available for subscribers to read online now. This issue includes a special PropTech and Security feature and includes some of the following articles. Firm ceases trading as financial probe begins Members approve merger of two property organisations Do you know risks of asbestos exposure? Don’t get into a knot about invasive plants Continuity and happy homes... What now for responsible persons? Three reasons why business partnerships reall