The cost-of-living crisis is affecting us all, but some of those hardest hit will be the younger generations and those trying to move house in the current climate.

We all know about the usual policies needed to protect your block: Buildings Insurance, Directors and Officers Liability (if you’re an RMC) and specialist cover for features such as lifts and swimming pools etc. But have you protected your building and it’s residents against the unexpected?

Here’s we’ll detail the London Flats Insurance policies that are too often left on the “it’ll probably never happen” pile, which can sometimes lead to huge financial outlays when these rare incidents do occur.

Winter appears to be in full swing already- a bit of a shock after the heatwave we experienced this summer! As temperatures drop and the ‘big’ coats come out of storage, it’s time to make sure your block and your residents are prepared for the months ahead.

Retirement is a time when many Brits look to relocate for a change of scenery in towns and villages that may not have been as convenient to live in while raising a family or working full time.

As more of us look at ways to reduce electricity and gas consumption in our homes, property management company FirstPort has been checking in with its developments to reveal some resident-led changes being made.

Managing a block of flats or an estate can be looked at as ‘just a building’ or ‘just a communal area’

But it’s more than that.  It is someone’s home.  It is their safe space and where they feel most comfortable.

As we approach the winter months, the changing weather conditions can cause damage to your home. However, with a few easy steps you can prepare your property for the long, cold months ahead.

The approved scheme involves a 2,623 sq ft retail unit on the ground floor and 60 apartments – 29 single bedroom, two person apartments; 27 two bedroom apartments for up to three people and four two bedroom apartments suitable for up to four people.

Since the FCA launched Treating Customers Fairly principles, regulated firms have to show that “fair treatment of customers is at the heart of their business model.

The Block in a Box team reminds you of your responsibilities under Health and Safety law following recent tower block fires.

Wanting to lower costs, one area to cut back on is the cost of reinstatement cost assessments – hence rise in popularity of ‘desktop’ RCAs.

4site Consulting have put together a quick guide for Property Managers on managing the risks of both Asbestos.

Picture the scene…

You’re the Director of an RMC and today is not a good day. The building’s been flooded which has caused water damage to multiple flats, issues with access for the whole building and no one has electricity, heating or water.

Buying a leasehold property mean you’re buying the lease to a property. Essentially, you don’t own the building, only the right to live in it for the length of the lease. The building itself is owned by a landlord or…

Hope of compensation for leasehold flat owners whose buildings are labelled as unsafe since Grenfell disaster.

If you own a leasehold property, the rules around renting your property can catch you out if you don’t check the terms of your lease. 

The future of repairs and maintenance is beginning to look like science fiction, so what are we expecting to see in the next few years?

Conservation students have teamed up with property management company FirstPort to create an ecological plan to conserve woodlands.

In Taking charge: the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy, the government set out that sales of all new petrol and diesel cars and vans would end in 2030. Alongside Government plans to introduce targets for sales of clean vehicles from 2024, the public discourse on zero emission motoring has now firmly shifted from if it will happen, to when.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today set out a range of recommendations and other potential remedies designed to give leaseholders greater protections from high prices and ensure the buildings insurance market operates better for leaseholders. 

Residential property management company Mainstay, secures management of luxury development in Sheffield.

This week JB Leitch is celebrating winning two awards in the Property Management 50 2022 in the residential property management industry.

The PM50 awards have been providing recognition and celebration within a sometimes thankless industry since 2019.

Service charges are paid by all leaseholders within a residential block to contribute towards the upkeep and management of the building.

With several instances of fire in London over the past few months, fire safety and your responsibilities must be at the forefront of your mind as a Property Manager or Residents’ Management Company (RMC) Director.

The proposed Leasehold Reform (Disclosure and Insurance Commissions) Bill was presented to the House of Lords in July 2022.

The importance of managing the communal areas of buildings properly and what your landlord should be doing to protect you and your home.

Earl Kendrick has announced the launch of a new surveying and safety service, EK Rope Access Surveys.

This is the latest innovative addition to the EK Group of companies, offering a complete building surveying service to residential and commercial property owners and managers.

It’s your responsibility to choose an accurate, full coverage policy that will pay out correctly should the worst happen.

With summer almost over and the news full of worldwide severe weather events every property manager is reminded that the days of a storm are guaranteed to be almost impossible as they deal with a multitude of leaks, damage and fallen trees not mentioning the subsequent surveys and repair and reinstatement works.

Working with the Hollie Gazzard Trust will keep Property Managers safe.

Help me Fix, has revealed that maintenance costs now account for over a fifth of the average rental income of a property.

At FirstPort, we’re looking for people with a passion to help their customers be part of a happy and safe community. Fostering neighbourly and local community relationships is so important, particularly at difficult times.

The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act has brought to the fore the implications for landlords under the new legislation.

Giraffe360, has revealed that there are hundreds of homes reaching the online portals for sale with no supporting photos whatsoever after pandemic.

CallisonRTKL (CRTKL) announces results of research report ‘Post-Covid Housing Demands’ on how domestic spaces are changing.

Research by Warwick Estates reveals that homebuyers could save £1,200 a year by purchasing a new-build home.

Research has found that over 23,000 homes have been sold under the Right to Buy scheme to council tenants.

The boss of Principle Estate Management is leading the company’s CSR efforts, volunteering to help set up a Boys’ Brigade camp in Devon.

B-hive Block Management Partners has been chosen to launch her own block and estate management venture, SAMAS Property Management.

Pandemic, Grenfell and the emergence of big tech companies. All have demonstrated a need for, and a lack of, useful technology in the property sector, says new IRPM whitepaper.

Last week, the Bank of England made the decision to raise interest rates by 0.5%. This is the largest jump since 1995 and the sixth consecutive increase since December of last year. 

Prices usually drop in August, and this 1.3% is in line with the August drop over the past ten years

Summer holidays are taking priority and some new sellers are pricing more competitively to secure a buyer quickly. This is also to beat the lengthy average time to completion and move home before Christmas

Research by Warwick Estates reveals that the total value of new-build leasehold transactions is 50% higher than new-build freehold transactions, as flats and urban living dominate England’s market. 

In the first six months of 2021, there were 1,523 new-build transactions in England. Of these, 44.8% (683) were freehold homes while 55.2% (840) were leaseholds, demonstrating a fairly even split for England’s market.

The latest market analysis by estate and lettings agent, Barrows and Forrester, has revealed that, so far this year, Birmingham is the rental property repossession capital when it comes to landlords reclaiming their homes from problem tenants. When a landlord wants to remove tenants from their property, they often have to go to the county courts and file a repossession order.

The Federation of Private Residents’ Associations are a not-for-profit lease advice, support and lobbying organisation for private residential leaseholders, tenants’ and residents’ associations, Residential Management Companies and Flat Management Companies.

Earl Kendrick’s licence to alter and party wall teams are busy helping landlords and managing agents with apartment alterations.

London-based vinyl lift transformation specialists Distinct Lift Wraps, have revealed details of their bespoke service. Their expertise and experience in lift wrapping enables property and block managers to give their lifts a refreshing and professional make-over at a fraction of the time and costs as alternative options. 

New data1 from SpareRoom reveals average monthly room rents are at a record high in London, at £815 (up 15% year on year)

The latest research by new-build specialists, Unlatch, has shown that building on just 1% of the nation’s green belt could help ease the housing crisis to the tune of almost 600,000 new homes, with an estimated market value of £255bn. 

Property maintenance solution provider, Help me Fix, has revealed that homeowners can avoid a costly call-out charge for maintenance problems around the home in 81% of cases, by having a short video call with a qualified tradesperson.

Principle Estate Management has welcomed the government’s decision to reopen the Building Safety Fund (BSF) for new applications.

Caerphilly County Borough Council is delighted to announce that work has recently completed on its first new innovative homes; the first its built in 20 years.

More than 10,000 Haringey homes in the east of the borough will receive low-carbon, sustainable energy after the council was awarded £27.8m funding.

The subject of respect and understanding within block management.

4site Consulting’s quick guide for Property Managers on managing the risks Legionella

property management company FirstPort has joined Bedfordshire Police to reveal the top steps to prevent fraud and cyber-attacks.  

JB Leitch are successful in a determination of reasonableness of service charges in the replacement of unsafe cladding.

As a trailblazer for women in the residential property industry and cofounder of Doyenne, the networking group for women in block management, Sam is no stranger to ground-breaking initiatives in block and estate management.

Adiuvo provides out-of-hours call handling and where necessary provision of contractors to more than 700,000 properties throughout the UK and Ireland via a team of experienced property and customer service staff. 

Nearly 90% of local authorities experienced increase in demand for allotments (APSE)38% of local authorities now have waiting lists of 1,000 people or more (APSE)National Allotments Week (9-14 August) to highlight benefits of growing your own produce As National Allotments…

The careful management of Birmingham’s finest pre-World War II apartments has led to more than £100,000 in savings, credits and claims for leaseholders’ funds in the last three years.

The concept of buying leasehold can be a bit confusing. It’s probably more commonly understood now than it has been in previous years due to the discussion in the news about the cladding crisis and the brief explanations in reports about what it means to buy leasehold, but the nuances of owning and living in a leasehold flat are still confusing to many.

The cladding crisis has thrown into harsh light the dangers of incorrect cladding and below-par fire safety provisions in apartment blocks.

Taking an eco-friendly approach has been necessary and largely popular for quite some time. Many blocks are preparing for the future by creating the infrastructure for EV charging, making their building’s more energy-efficient and even going as far as fitting ground source heat pumps and solar panels.

If your block is managed by an RMC, it’s good to know what needs to be reported to the director or a board member and, most importantly, when.

With the cost-of-living crisis in full effect, you are likely to be scrutinising your service charge demands a little more than usual. Unless your service charge is set at a fixed amount in your lease, the chances are your landlord is allowed to increase your charges. However, increases must be reasonable, and the law allows leaseholders to challenge increases if they are seen to be unreasonable.

As an RMC Director, Property Manager or Right to Manage Company, you will be on the front line for service charge enquiries. Residents are likely to be receiving higher bills than usual, largely due to insurance costs. Buildings Insurance is often the highest cost listed on the service charge breakdown and prices are creeping up and up.

Yorkshire-based property specialist Pure Block Management has launched an online portal that will streamline customer service for leaseholders and tenants of the apartment blocks and residential complexes it manages across the region.

A private developer has paid £810,000 for adjoining properties 1256-1258 Pershore Road in Stirchley. The property was previously owned by a family who had secured the planning permission.

JB Leitch Reaffirm Commitment & Legal Leadership in the Property Management Industry.

Earl Kendrick Chartered Surveyors have launched a new business specialising in cost management and quantity surveying services.

Future Group have been awarded ‘Partner of the Year’ by the ARMA Ace Awards at a fun-filled ceremony on the 17th June 2022.

Future Group have been awarded two OZEV-funded projects, just seven days after the delayed funding finally went live.

Plans to create a new high-quality town centre in Seven Sisters moved a step closer last night after Haringey Council agreed to acquire land held by property developer Grainger. The Wards Corner site has long been identified by the council…

RMC Utilities

The team from Block in a Box provides the perfect solution to finding a contractor for your block.

London named as the most pet friendly city in the UK to rent a home

As the ‘Most Trusted Specialist Residential Block Management Company’ in 2022 for the United Kingdom, Fraser Allen Estate Management has gained notoriety for its charismatic, dedicated, and hardworking team.

One of the rarest yet very real problems of managing buildings with multiple residents is dealing with challenging and often emotionally charged situations which can enrage some tenants.

Landlords may soon need to review their polices about allowing pets in their rented properties in the light of forthcoming legal changes, according to experts at Principle Estate Management.

Online discount code retailer, Savoo has analysed the costpet owners can expect to pay for some of the UK’s most popular cat and dog breeds, whilst also revealing the most pet-friendly cities in the UK and Europe.

Combatting loneliness and creating communities at Quintain Living

Property managers need to take note of the latest guidance on the new Building Safety Act following the Grenfell fire disaster, according to experts at Principle Estate Management.

A landmark survey of over 2,500 people between 16-25 reveals that 70% believe that sustainability features in accommodation are important

An experienced commercial building surveyor who helped on the construction of the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London has joined Principle Estate Management.

The site of a former pub on West Bromwich High Street with plans approved to build 60 apartments has come on the market for offers over £1,500,000.

The winners of the ARMA ACE Awards were revealed at a ceremony at Old Billingsgate in the heart of London on Friday 17th June 2022.

Darren Bagnall from Flat Living Insurance has some exciting news to share regarding the Flat Living website.

Sinead Campbell of London Flats Insurance looks at some amazing apartments that are currently for sale in London.

Rich Smeeton from Manage Your Block focuses on using the Alerts Function in the MYB software.

Belinda Bagnall, Managing Director of Residentsline, provides details of the additional services that Residentsline provides.

Taking a holistic overview of the developments we manage, Property Managers gain confidence to make informed decisions.

Lendlease today announced the appointment of Valerie Cseplo-Jeffrey as its new Operations Director of Build to Rent.

Leading residential property services provider, FirstPort, has bolstered its HR senior leadership team with two new appointments.

Over the recent years the Group has experienced significant growth and development, with the successful acquisition of over 50 businesses.

Oakfield Estate Agents is marking a quarter-century in business with a major rebrand as it celebrates its success while looking to the future.

A company providing end to end bespoke charging solutions to the leasehold property market has opened for business.

Fortus Business Advisors & Accountants has been recognised as the sole Service Charge partner to provide expertise in speaking, training, and networking advice capacities.

On Wednesday 25th May, ARMA (now part of The Property Institute) today announced the shortlisted finalists in the 2022 ACE Awards.