If you live in a flat, you’ll be used to budgeting for your annual service charge, but how do you know if the amount you’re paying is fair and reasonable? IPM offers advice on how to assess if your service charge is fair. As a leaseholder, you have a right to be able to clearly see how your service charge monies are being spent and what they are being spent on. Transparency is key to helping leaseholders understand what they need to pay, it can also encourage prompt settlement of demands, which can be essential in smaller developments and those that run without a surplus. However, we’ve met ma ..read more

IPM have today been shortlisted as finalists in this year Property Management Awards for Employer of the Year. This award recognises employers that have made an outstanding effort in engaging with their employees and the wider sector. The overall judging will consider how investing in people through health and wellbeing, skills and training and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives have made a positive contribution to the company, industry and society. After 3 weeks of scoring, deliberations and meetings, PMA announced that we had made the shortlist for 2022! It is a fantastic achieve ..read more

We are excited to announce IPM are acquiring another block managing agent called Spring House Properties, who are currently based in Leeds, under the terms of a Partnership and Spring House will come under the Inspired Property Management (IPM) name. The acquisition will provide IPM with another 9 buildings to manage and two of their staff members will be joining the team. IPM will retain Spring House Properties offices in Leeds which provides an even stronger presence in the area, bringing the total of prestigious sites in Leeds alone to 8. The acquired developments are located in N ..read more

Reducing the negative impact of our homes on the environment is crucial if we’re to create a more sustainable future. While progress has been made, an absence of direction on the proposed changes to EPC requirements is contributing to a lack of action. In this article we highlight the need for clearer and more definitive guidance from the Government. Much has been said about the proposed changes to the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings of private rented sector properties and it’s an issue that has been on our radars for some time. Despite this, there are signs that there is still mu ..read more

The rules and regulations for rented accommodation are always evolving and it’s important for landlords to be aware of updates to ensure properties are safe for tenants. The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (Amendment) Regulations 2022 will become law in England from 1 October 2022. Landlords who are renting out property will need to ensure the safety measures are in place for both carbon monoxide and smoke. Since October 2015, landlords in England have been required to install carbon monoxide alarms in properties where a solid fuel heating appliance has been fitted, which is then used by tenants. Wi ..read more

The nightmare issue of clutter! Flat owners leaving their belongings in communal areas is a problem that won’t go away. Potentially the biggest impact is how it would affect your fire risk assessment and escape plan for the building. Your local fire officer would be horrified to find bikes and buggies in the common parts so expect a lecture about how difficult  firemen would find it to make their way down the corridor, when they are tripping over bikes and other bulky items. Disposing of bulky items such as bikes, buggies and even mattresses is a costly and time-consuming job that managin ..read more

Take a look at the list of measures drawn up buy utilities companies, which offers advice on how tenants and landlords can reduce expenditure this summer on their household bills. Suggested water savings include: – Swap baths for showers – opting to reduce the number of baths a household has and swapping for a shower can greatly impact the water usage a household might utilise. A shorter shower uses a third of the water it would use to fill a bath, so even if cutting out baths, in general, is a no-go, try to limit it to just once or twice a week; – Unneeded running taps – leaving the taps to r ..read more

The government has officially opened its Boiler Upgrade Scheme for applications including those from private landlords. Operated by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, it offers applicants it offers grants to encourage property owners to install low carbon heating systems such as heat pumps, it will now run until 2025. Landlords can receive up to £5,000 off the cost and installation of an air source heat pump or £6,000 off a ground source heat pump and they are available as a single grant per property. Air source heat pumps cost between £3,000 and £18,000 depending on ..read more

Inspired Property Management is excited to welcome Andrea Barnard MIRPM as Associate Director at Inspired Property Management with immediate effect. This new appointment will strengthen the existing Board and in this new role, and Andrea’s position will support the continued growth and progression of IPM within the industry. With a career to date of more than 20 years in the property industry, Andrea brings extensive experience in property management, leadership and business strategy gained working in the property industry, delivering to clients across the UK. Andrea’s focus will be on in ..read more

Government take action of cladding disaster The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove MP, has written to developers to warn them that they must pay to fix cladding defects in 11-18 metre residential leasehold buildings. In a public letter released today, Mr Gove presented the industry with a deadline of early March to agree to a fully funded plan of action. In the letter, the Secretary of State asks companies to agree to: make financial contributions to a dedicated fund to cover the full outstanding cost to remediate unsafe cladding on 11-18 metre building ..read more