Industry news


Lords welcome launch of new Property Guardian trade group


standards, to represent and promote the industry, and to foster best practice. The Property Guardian Providers Association


S


(PGPA) has been warmly welcomed by all parties in a debate on property guardians in the House of Lords. The new association was formally launched at the Empty Homes Conference in Birmingham in mid October The PGPA was founded jointly by Ad Hoc


Property Management, Guardians of London, Live- in Guardians, Lowe Guardians, VPS, Dex Property Management and Camelot. It has been created to provide the industry with effective representation, to formulate policy, and to ensure that its members are at the forefront of meeting or exceeding legal and safety standards. The seven founding members provide over 80


per cent of the guardian accommodation in the UK. “The industry has grown to a size where it now


needs a structured framework in terms of best practice and progression to not just raise standards, but to also ensure that guardians are getting the best out of their experience,” said Simon Finneran, Managing Director of Ad Hoc Property Management, one of the drivers behind the new body. After an industry-wide census of its members


was conducted, the association found that many people cannot afford to live in the city where they


work, and yet property guardianship provides a cost-effective way to do so. It was also found that no less than 60 per cent of guardians remain in the same accommodation for a year or more, breaking down the myth that guardians are constantly on the move. Mr Finneran added: “Property guardianship is becoming a more popular way of living as it allows


for people to save money to get on the property ladder themselves. One in four guardians are in their 30s and one in three are key workers, all of whom are benefitting greatly from living closer to work.” For more information about the Property


Guardian Providers Association, please contact info@propertyguardianproviders.com


even of the UK’s leading property guardian firms have come together to form the sector’s first trade association to lead on safety and


Enfield’s MOT for social housing properties


A new scheme to improve the standard of social housing, reduce repair costs and provide a better service for residents is being launched by Enfield Council in north London. Dedicated ‘Property MOT’ teams will


visit social housing properties in the borough each year to check their condition and put right any faults that are found. The scheme will also help identify vulnerable residents who need extra assistance from social services and enable the council to more accurately assess the condition of its stock as the repairs schedule rolls onwards. Enfield Council’s Leader, Councillor Nesil


Caliskan, said: “Improving the quality of Enfield Council’s accommodation was a key priority for me when I became leader and this new service will play a vital role in achieving that goal.


“These checks and works will proactively


tackle issues before they require responsive repairs and will improve the condition of the entire property. The MOT team will also identify larger issues, diagnose the fault and either plan and complete the works themselves or raise jobs with specialist contractors. “The beauty of this scheme is that we expect to


see a significant reduction in the number of repairs we need to carry out across our housing stock and because the vast majority of the repairs will be


14 | HMM November 2018 | www.housingmmonline.co.uk


completed in a single visit it will reduce disruption for residents.” Enfield Council contractors currently carry out


42,000 repairs to its 10,500 properties each year, with most being minor jobs such as fixing leaking taps and broken door handles. However, there is also a backlog of larger problems such as blocked drains which are outstanding and the new teams will help to tackle. The council expects the new scheme to be self funded from a reduction in responsive repairs costs.


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