HA maintenance costs soar, driving operating surpluses down

Increased expenditure on repairs and maintenance by housing associations, driven by a sharper focus on health and safety after the Grenfell Tower fire has been revealed in the sector’s global accounts for 2018/19. The global accounts published by England’s Regulator... View Article

New electrical safety rules for rental properties

New rules for carrying out electrical safety checks every five years in private sector tenancies are being introduced from July this year, with fines of upto £30,000 for non-compliance. Checks will initially be required for all new tenancies let from... View Article

No one taking the blame for Grenfell Tower tragedy

The public inquiry into the Grenfell tragedy has resumed but it quickly became evident that none of the many designers, contractors and consultants were willing to shoulder responsibility for mistakes that allowed a fire to engulf the building more than... View Article

Access all areas

Adrian Sunter of Terry Lifts discusses why it’s so crucial the UK’s housing stock is adapted to suit the needs of everyone and what options are available to housing associations On 5 November, a new coalition of housing organisations published... View Article

Unintended consequences

Penny Jones of Domus Ventilation looks at how improvements in the energy efficiency of dwellings has led to poor indoor air quality, and why mechanical ventilation is the way forward Over recent years we’ve done a good job of improving... View Article

Don’t be an amateur

Surface preparation is critical in the restoration of a floor and mistakes at this stage can have catastrophic consequences for the finished result. Here Scott Coffey, regional sales manager at surface preparation expert National Flooring Equipment, explains how to choose... View Article

Engineering student safety

At a time when the volume of university students continues to rise across Europe, there is great commercial opportunity in the provision of housing to the growing demographic. But with great opportunity comes even greater responsibility. Heriberto Cuanalo of Collegiate... View Article

Give-and-take

Andy Fell of Hambleside Danelaw summarises the pros and cons of different flat and low-pitched roofing membranes. Housing maintenance is a demanding task, with cost, performance, lifespan, ease of installation and maintenance being the main governing factors. ‘Traditional’ roofing systems... View Article