What will property professions need to do to assist with the effective discharge of the disclosure and acknowledgement obligations?

If property professionals assume a duty to discharge these obligations on behalf of property owners, should they face the same consequences as the owners, where they fail to do so?

For guidance on the consent, disclosure and acknowledgement under the Green Deal Scheme and implications for estate agents, lettings agents, solicitors and others in the property professions, please get in touch:

GREEN DEAL IMPLICATIONS FOR PROPERTY PRACTITIONERS

For more information and a copy of our Green Deal Passport for professionals, please send your details to  info@m3publishing.co.uk

Commercial property managers have welcomed the findings of a new Review which calls for action to discourage landlords from leaving high street business premises empty.

Mary Portas’s review aims to revitalise the high street by delivering a series of recommendations on how local communities, businesses and the Government can reverse the decline in economic prosperity. It follows data published earlier this year which showed town centre vacancy rates had doubled in the space of two years.

Among a series of proposals, the Review calls for landlords to take greater responsibility for the success of their high street property investment and recommends a contract of care is established between landlords and their commercial property tenants. Each contractual arrangement should suit the circumstances of both the landlord and tenant, it adds, and support the use of lease structures other than upward-only rent reviews – especially for small businesses…

In today’s challenging financial climate, many businesses have found themselves in the unfortunate position of having to cut costs in order to survive.

Deciding which areas of the business are disposable is an incredibly difficult task, but one outgoing which should never be stripped back is insurance.

Manchester-based professional loss assessors Cherry and Griffiths says businesses which are looking to reducing their insurance premiums and therefore their cover are literally playing with fire…

All businesses, regardless of their size, have a responsibility to protect their employees by ensuring electrical installations are safe and working correctly.

A fire alarm, for example, will be useless in an emergency if the smoke detector is defunct or the alarm isn’t audible which is why it is crucial companies plan for regular maintenance of their electrical installations in order to reduce that risk.

It is simply not enough to rely on an office/warehouse caretaker alone to take on this role because in the event of an incident your business will be liable if you cannot prove your electrical testing procedures were carried out by an experienced and qualified electrical contractor with the right paperwork…

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are largely failing in the battle to address energy inefficiency.

Their purpose is to increase the awareness of prospective buyers and tenants to the energy rating of the property they are considering.

EPC’s have failed probably because customers lack awareness of them and Property Agents believe customers are not interested.

However, from April 2012 the Government will make EPC data publicly available under the provisions of the Energy Act 2011.  This is important for Green Deal as full EPC data will be accessed on a bulk address basis.

The funders for Green Deal are likely to be major retailers, local authorities, energy companies and others.  These funders will use EPC data by accessing customer knowledge to maximise marketing strategies to identify potential Green Deal customers.

Property Agents therefore must start to understand the new obligations that will placed on them including the disclosure obligation for a Green Deal improved property.

GET YOUR GREEN DEAL PASSPORT

To help you achieve the best possible opportunities for Green Deal and ECO work, Property Aspects Magazine Green Deal expert Phyllis Boardman has designed a ‘Passport to Green Deal’ which is a menu of options available to all types of organisations.

To receive a copy of your ‘Passport to Green Deal’, Please email your name and contact details to  info@m3publishing.co.uk

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Industries have been sceptical of the Green Deal due to it’s lack of awareness, political U-turns, complexities and uncertainties of the economy.

The Government has therefore committed to the success of the Green Deal by incentivising initial take-up.

This is intended to make the Green Deal hit the ground running, and to make it as attractive as possible to millions of households and businesses.

£200m of new and additional Government funding will provide a special time-limited ‘introductory’ offer to boost the early take up of Green Deal.

What is the Green Deal?

Every UK domestic and non-domestic property will be eligible under the Green Deal Scheme to install packages of energy saving technologies at no upfront cost with low interest loans.  The Golden Rule will ensure repayments are made over time from the energy savings made.

Green Deal is expected to kick start around £14 billion of private sector investment over the next decade.

There will be support to help small family firms as well as big high street names to get involved in the Green Deal in order to ensure their market share.

Get your Green Deal Passport document detailing options for taking advantage of the Green Deal

To help organisations to achieve the best possible opportunities for Green Deal and ECO work, Property Aspects’ Green Deal expert Phyllis Boardman has designed a ‘Passport to Green Deal’ which is a menu of options available to all types of organisations.

To receive a copy of your ‘Passport to Green Deal’, Please email your name and contact details to  info@m3publishing.co.uk

  Phyllis Boardman BSc (Hons) MCIH

Green Deal Specialist Property Aspects Magazine 

While lack of demand in the commercial property market is bad news for investors and the economy as a whole, businesses looking for new premises are in an ideal bargaining position, according to commercial property managers.

Availability of commercial premises appears to be increasing according to the latest figures which means landlords are prepared to offer greater flexibility to commercial tenants and competitive rental prices to entice them into a deal.

Appointing a property management company to source business premises and negotiate a lease on your behalf can be a shrewd move in such a climate and will help you achieve the best deal for your business. Whether you’re looking for one-off support or for a permanent service to oversee multiple site acquisitions, property management companies can help you save money and ensure your business is protected from unnecessary liabilities including refurbishment.

Peter Knight, managing director of Manchester-based property and construction consultancy Knight Site Solutions Ltd, said: “Landlords are more inclined than ever to offer incentive packages to snap up tenants because of the competition out there and businesses are wise to use these gloomy economic times to their advantage. However, businesses should still be on their guard when agreeing to the terms of a lease to avoid costly exits and hidden expenses.

“Whether you’re looking for start-up premises or for a new base to add to your growing property portfolio using the services of a property management company will safeguard your position and ensure you receive a good return for your investment. With an extensive network of contacts, a good property manager will not only source a good selection of options but will also be able to negotiate a better deal on your behalf and make the process much simpler.”

Recent figures from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors UK Commercial Market Survey show 15% more surveyors reported available space rising in the third quarter of 2011.

Overall tenant demand retreated during this period and fell into negative territory for the first time this year. Surveyors blame the situation on the uncertain outlook for the wider economy which has impacted negatively on demand.

The RICS said the sector saw the largest drop in demand for space while inducements rose over the three-month period as landlords looked to entice tenants into new deals.

Property Aspects Magazine appreciates the contribution to this article from Property sourcing and management specialists Knight Site Solutions in Manchester 

Businesses hit by fire damage may under estimate the cost of the incident to productivity and lost income, according to commercial loss assessors. Even a relatively small fire can have serious consequences to the day-to-day running of a business, especially if paperwork is involved, and it’s essential you ensure your fire insurance claim takes account of every aspect of your loss to maximise your pay out.

A commercial loss assessor is a highly valuable tool when making a commercial property insurance claim because they’re trained in measuring the effects of a catastrophe involving fire, even if these are intangible to the business owner.

High energy costs are crippling many British businesses but there are ways of maximising energy efficiency and saving money as well as reducing your carbon footprint if you consult the experts.

Professional electrical contractors can provide bespoke energy efficiency solutions to help drive down your energy costs in this turbulent economic climate and create a greener working environment for your employees.

There are a host of options available to businesses who want to maximise their energy efficiency. Installing state-of-the-art automatic lighting controls, for example, could save you up to 30% on your lighting costs. If you regularly light up office spaces or washrooms, even when occupants have left the room, you could benefit from occupancy sensors which automatically switch off artificial lighting when a space isn’t being used or lighting isn’t required (such as in daylight hours).

When a property changes hands, a number of professions take part in the transfer process.

For ‘Green Deal’ properties, these professions will need to understand their obligations towards any new potential bill payers:

Estate agents and letting agents must assist sellers and landlords to disclose the Green Deal by providing potential buyers and tenants with the EPC.

Solicitors must engage with the Green Deal when representing clients in the transfer of property, through sale, rent or license and assist buyers in understanding the terms of the Green Deal.

Surveyors will need to check that Green Deal measures are present and they are as detailed on the EPC.

Property Aspects Magazine will be providing you with more information on how Green Deal will impact on your property service over the coming months.

To help property professionals to achieve the best possible opportunities for Green Deal and ECO work, our Green Deal expert Phyllis Boardman has designed a ‘Passport to Green Deal’ which is a menu of options available to all types of organisations.

To receive a copy of your ‘Passport to Green Deal’, please email your name and contact details to  info@m3publishing.co.uk