Common Ground comes of age as Government announces property management reforms

Henley-on-Thames based managing agent Common Ground has quite literally come of age, celebrating its 18th birthday and welcoming its 5,000th customer at the same time.

And as the company marks the milestone, founder and Managing Director Alan Draper has announced the launch of a new initiative aimed at campaigning for greater choice and control for leaseholders.The announcement comes at a particularly topical moment for the property management industry, following Housing Secretary Angela Rayner’s announcement this week that the Government intends to introduce independent regulation of property agents.

Under the proposals, property agents would be required to obtain a licence and appropriate qualifications, with an independent regulator responsible for setting and enforcing standards.

Alan welcomes the move, but believes the reforms should go further.

“Eighteen years ago, I started Common Ground managing a single block of just 10 flats in Oxford. I saw a gap in the market for a transparent managing agent that actually visits the sites it manages and genuinely looks after the interests of its customers.
“Eighteen years and 5,000 customers later, it seems the market agreed.
“But nearly two decades working in block management has also given me a very clear view of where the system does and doesn’t work for leaseholders.
“I welcome Angela Rayner’s announcement that managing agents are to be regulated. Raising standards and accountability across our industry can only be a positive step.
“However, in my opinion, regulation alone doesn’t address one of the fundamental issues facing many leaseholders: how straightforward it is for them to replace a managing agent when they believe that agent is performing poorly.

“That is why I have launched Levelling Up Leasehold, a campaign calling for reform that would give every group of leaseholders a fair and straightforward opportunity to choose their own managing agent.
“Over the years, I have seen proposed reforms intended to benefit leaseholders become significantly diluted. I believe we need a market that rewards good managing agents and gives leaseholders greater choice and accountability when standards fall short.
“My proposal is simple: give leaseholders greater control over who manages their building and make it possible for poorly performing managing agents to be replaced with 90 days’ notice.”

For Alan, the launch of Levelling Up Leasehold represents the next chapter in a journey that began 18 years ago with just 10 flats in Oxford.

Today, with Common Ground celebrating its 5,000th customer, his ambition is not only to continue growing the business, but to use those 18 years of experience to help bring about positive change across the wider leasehold sector.

For more information about the campaign, visit www.levellingupleasehold.co.uk