Gregg Masters, Commercial Director at 4site Consulting reflects on 2018 and looks at what’s in store for 2019.
Now that January is upon us, property managers have been looking back at what 2018 held for them and looking forward to what 2019 may bring. It is impossible to predict what might happen for property management in 2019, however, some of the trends and changes from 2018 can help us to make some informed predictions.
Safety and the Property Management Industry
4site Consulting have been supporting property managers for over 13 years and a lot has changed in the industry in this time. In the last 5 years alone, there has been a noticeable change in professional attitudes, with health and safety taking a front seat. Property professionals are now much more aware of their legal obligations regarding safety and are often contacting us for more advanced guidance on this. As anticipated, current news and events have led to an increase in awareness and concern over fire safety in residential property and this is impacting property professionals across the UK.
We have also seen changes in the ways that property professionals are managing the risks from Legionella. In the past, we saw that many property managers were commissioning Legionella sampling, often needlessly, rather than having their required risk assessments carried out. Holding an up to date Legionella Risk Assessment is the key requirement under the Health & Safety approved code of practice; sampling is usually only required as a control measure following a problem identified by that Risk Assessment. Knowledge and awareness of legionella management requirements has markedly improved, and the amount of unnecessary and expensive sampling regimes we identify has notably reduced.
What did 2018 bring?
As with 2017, 2018 saw a focus on building safety in response to Grenfell and Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. The final Hackitt review was published in May 2018 and by December the government had responded with an implementation plan for new regulations. This plan focused on key topics such as accountability and putting residents at the heart of the building safety system. The government will meet in Spring 2019 to consult and develop a detailed policy, most likely preparing the way for future legislation.
Last summer, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) released a series of advice notes for landlords and building owners regarding replacing and reviewing flat entrance fire doors. Among other things, fire doors have been in the spotlight since the Grenfell enquiry and this is a focus that will likely continue far beyond 2019.
Furthermore, on 21st December 2018 a ban came into place on combustible cladding materials being used on the external walls of high-rise multi-occupancy buildings of at least 10-storeys. The ban states that all materials which make up an external wall or specified attachment – such as a balcony attached to an external wall – should be non-combustible or have limited combustibility. In Spring 2019 the Government will discuss whether other building-types should be included in the ban.
What’s in store for 2019 and what does this mean for your management?
2019 hopes to be the year that a lot of the recommendations from the Hackitt review are consulted on and put in place. Inside Housing states that there are 289 privately owned high-rise residential blocks that have been identified as using similar aluminium composite (ACM) cladding to Grenfell. Whilst there are plans underway for 147 of these buildings to have their cladding removed, only 40 have done so far. In addition to this, the status of 102 buildings remains unclear, therefore, 2019 should hope to shed some light on the plan for the cladding on these buildings.
Additionally, the government’s plan to put residents at the top of the building safety system should begin to transpire in 2019 and the ways in which property is managed may have to adapt in order to implement a stronger voice for residents. In particular, it is likely that there will be an expectation for closer communication between property managers and residents who occupy their buildings.
Furthermore, recommendations from the Hackitt review identified the need for a ‘golden thread’ of information for all higher risk residential buildings. Meaning that, good quality key information is to be passed to future building owners. This will help to link the design, construction, occupation and maintenance stages of a building. Once again, the aim is to create better communication and ensure that the building remains safe throughout its life cycle.
