Real Estate and Construction

Freeholder Insurance Responsibilities and Duties
Freeholder Insurance Responsibilities and Duties 800 534 James Hallam

If you are the freeholder for a property, you may have certain duties and responsibilities when it comes to insurance.

In this post we will outline the key freeholder insurance responsibilities and duties. We will also explore a recent change in the law, and outline how this might affect you as a freeholder.

Key Duties and Legal Responsibilities For Freeholders

The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 outline some key legal obligations that apply to all freeholders – that is, the party who owns the land on which a property is built.

These legal obligations include:

  • Repairing and maintaining the building structure.
  • Cleaning and maintaining any communal areas in the property, such as hallways, stairs, lifts, and doors.
  • Setting and collecting ground rent and service charges.
  • Delivering management reports to leaseholders to outline how ground rent and service charges are spent.

Do I Need Freeholder Building Insurance?

Your leasing arrangement may stipulate that, as a freeholder, you need to get suitable building insurance for your property. Additionally, your local council regulations might specify that you need some form of protection in place for your tenants. Getting adequate cover might also be a key requirement of your mortgage arrangement.

Yet even if you do not have a legal responsibility to get insurance, it remains essential that you get suitable cover for any potential loss, damages, or legal issues.

The Risk of Inadequate Cover

Without adequate cover in place, you might be personally liable for any losses or damages arising from incidents at your property. Even a small claim can come with a huge financial cost.

Specialist insurance provides freeholders, leaseholders, and tenants with essential peace of mind that everything will be taken care of should anything ever go wrong.

What Type of Insurance Do Freeholders Need?

You might see freeholders building insurance referred to as “block of flats insurance”, or “multi-unit dwelling insurance”. In any case, it is a specialist form of cover for property owners who provide accommodation for multiple residents.

You should be able to get a bespoke policy that is tailored to meet your specific needs as a freeholder. Yet most policies will include cover for the following:

  • Structural damage, including subsidence.
  • Flooding, whether caused by burst pipes, escape of water, or otherwise.
  • Loss of rent.
  • Alternative accommodation for tenants, should your property become uninhabitable.
  • Break-ins, vandalism, and theft.
  • Public liability and third party liability – for claims involving accidents or injuries sustained while on or near your property.

New Multi Occupancy Rules on Residential Properties

The FCA recently introduced new multi occupancy rules on residential properties, which came into effect on 31 December 2023. These changes affect both leaseholders and freeholders.

Essentially, the new rules require insurance firms to be more transparent when providing key information to leaseholders and freeholders.

These changes apply to multi-occupancy residential buildings including multi-tenanted leasehold properties, buildings converted into individual flats, and mixed commercial and residential occupancy buildings. They may bot apply to Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMOs).

For more information, contact your insurer.

Talk To James Hallam About Your Freeholder Insurance Needs

James Hallam is an independent Lloyd’s broker with a dedicated team of experienced insurance professionals. We are committed to getting you the cover you need at a price you can afford.

Talk to us, and we can help you ensure you have enough cover to protect your freehold property at a truly competitive price. We will take the time to understand your risks so we can tailor a flexible freeholder building insurance policy that offers full cover at outstanding value.

Get in touch for a free quote today.

Don’t fall victim to underinsurance. We can help.
Don’t fall victim to underinsurance. We can help. 1920 1280 James Hallam
We’ve all seen the rise in building costs reported in the press, with building materials and labour at an all time high, but have you considered the effect this could have on your buildings insurance?

79%

Underinsured
79% of the UK properties are underinsured. This can severly reduce the amount paid out following a property damage claim.

14%

Overinsured
14% of UK properties are overinsured. If this is you, you are paying more than you need to for your insurance.

How can you make sure you don’t suffer the consequences of underinsurance?

The only reliable way to do this is use a ‘Regulated by RICS’ property professional. James Hallam can help

We are working with RebuildCostASSESSMENT.com, the UK’s affordable and professional provider of buildings insurance valuations. They will calculate how much your building would cost to completely rebuild without even visiting your property.

They can produce a reliable and perhaps more importantly, an insurance industry trusted assessment of your building’s rebuild cost.

We are pleased to offer the discounted price of £160 per property to all James Hallam customers.

To take advantage of this offer contact your James Hallam client manager or call 0330 024 0755

Put your buildings insurance right by arranging a Rebuild Cost Assessment today.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
James Hallam Limited will introduce customers to RebuildCostASSESSMENT.com who provide a rebuilding cost valuation service. This service is not regulated by the FCA and therefore does not benefit from the protection offered by FOS or the FSCS.

This service does not apply to Grade 1 and Grade A properties. Grade 2 properties can be valued however we would recommend an on-site survey as certain materials or characteristics of a property may not be evident digitally.

The law on fire alarms in Scottish homes has changed – home owner or landlord this is what you need to know…
The law on fire alarms in Scottish homes has changed – home owner or landlord this is what you need to know… 1920 1280 James Hallam

Every home in Scotland must have interlinked fire alarms. Interlinked means if one goes off, they all go off, so you will always hear an alarm wherever you are in your home.

The new law has come about because of the Grenfell fire in London in 2017, and it applies to all Scottish homes.

It is the property owner’s responsibility for meeting the new standard, with any costs to be met by the home owner or landlord, what you need will depend on what you currently have in place and the alarms you choose to install.

What each home needs

Every home must have:

  • one smoke alarm in the living room or the room you use most
  • one smoke alarm in every hallway or landing
  • one heat alarm in the kitchen

All smoke and heat alarms should be mounted on the ceiling and be interlinked.

If you have a carbon-fuelled appliance – like a  boiler, fire, heater or flue – in any room, you must also have a carbon monoxide detector in that room, but this does not need to be linked to the fire alarms

Help with costs

Older and disabled homeowners on low incomes can get help with costs.

If you are a private tenant, your landlord is responsible.

If you are a council or housing association tenant, work is ongoing to make sure your home meets the new standards.

Two types of alarms

You can use either sealed battery alarms or mains-wired alarms.

Both types of alarm are interlinked by radio frequency and do not need WiFi.

What the alarms must have

If you use battery alarms, they must be sealed tamper-proof units and have long-life lithium batteries, which can be up to 10 years. You may be able to fit these types of alarms yourself and they do not need an electrician.

Mains-wired alarms are cheaper but if you use them, they must be fitted by a qualified electrician and must be replaced every 10 years. You may also need to redecorate after fitting them.

If you also need a carbon monoxide alarm and it is battery-operated, it must have a sealed battery for the duration of its lifespan.

You can find full details and further guidance here.

Source: GOV.SCOT
Photo source: GOV.SCOT

How to look after your mental health while working from home
How to look after your mental health while working from home 1920 1283 James Hallam

The global pandemic, an unstable jobs market and the isolation of working from home has meant we have had to adjust to new ways of living and working. There are some perks to working from home that some of us can enjoy, but feeling stressed, bored, anxious and uncertain is also completely normal. We can all take steps to improve our own mental health by building our resilience and acknowledge your own self care.

For many of us work forms a massive part of our lives so it is not surprising that any changes could affect our wellbeing. Human connections are more important than ever as we continue to work remotely, here are some tips for supporting your mental health and feeling connected while working from home.

How can I help myself and those around me while working from home?

• The work life balance. Many workers find it hard to switch off mainly due to the removal of the commute to a physical office location. However put a reminder in your diary to take a break and encourage your team to do the same.
• Get moving. Whether it is indoor or outside, this will help maintain your physical and mental health, you will feel more awake and alert, and your concentration and sleep will improve.
• Establish new ways of working – Trial and error will help you find out what ways of working works best for each individual.
• Get connected. Check in with your team regularly whether it is by video calls, check ins between managers and their teams, Q&A sessions for colleagues to chat through any concerns or any other collaborative platforms to connect with one another.
• Make your team aware of support organisations – There are numerous charities and organisations that can offer support with your mental health while we continue to work from home. Keep your teams informed on how they can get in contact with them.
• Set and stick to a routine – Working from home can be very challenging and isolating, but a structured day can be a good way to address this. Designate a place to work that is free of distractions. Scheduling exercise throughout the day are paramount to maintaining your energy levels.

For more advice on how to look after your own mental health and supporting colleagues while working from home –

Mind’s online community ‘Side by Side’ 

Hospitality Action’s COVID-19 wellbeing hub

Be Aware – 18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations Launched
Be Aware – 18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations Launched 1920 1280 James Hallam

Last year saw the publication of the 18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations. The regulations apply to the design, erection and verification of electrical installations; and additions and alterations to existing installations.

Also known as BS 7671:2018 Requirements for Electrical Installations, these changes were issued on 2nd July 2018 and came into effect on 1st January 2019. The period between publication and application gave a 6-month window for electrical contractors and others responsible for installing and maintaining electrical installations to become familiar with the new regulations.

Whilst there are many small changes from the previous 17th Edition, some of the significant updates in the new 18th Edition cover include:

  • Protection Against Electric Shock – changes to regulations relating to protective equipotential bonding and those relating to disconnection times.
  • Protection Against Thermal Effects – of particular relevance to fire, a new regulation has been introduced recommending the installation of arc fault detection devices (AFDDs) to mitigate the risk of fire in final circuits of a fixed installation due to the effects of arc fault currents.
  • Protection Against Voltage Disturbances – stipulating that transient over-voltage protection has to be installed when (amongst others) the consequences caused by over-voltage results in interruption of commercial or industrial activity.
  • Inspection and Testing – this has been revised to align Inspection and Testing requirements to other revisions within the 18th Edition.
  • Energy Efficiency – recommendations for the design and erection of electrical installations with local production and storage of energy to optimise the use of electricity. These are listed in a new appendix.

This doesn’t mean that existing electrical installations installed in accordance with earlier editions of the wiring regulations are now unsafe or require upgrading, but any new installations, alteration or additions made from 1st January 2019 onwards will need to comply with the new regulations.

It is always recommended to hire contractors who are members of a trade body such as NICEIC when choosing an electrical contractor to inspect and test electrical installations within your premises. Many commercial insurance contracts contain a fixed wiring electrical inspection condition and generally stipulate use of an NICIEC contractor.

For more information, please contact us on 01923 298435.

Be Aware- Selection and Control of Contractors
Be Aware- Selection and Control of Contractors 1920 1280 James Hallam

There are many examples where failure of the client-contractor relationship has caused fire or other damage to property, or a significant accident resulting in injury to others. The impact of such an incident on a business can be significant, resulting in loss of revenue, damage to reputation, uninsurable fines and in the worst cases the prosecution of both parties and/or imprisonment where severe injuries or fatalities have occurred.

Even if contractors visit you regularly, a high turnover of staff may mean that some of their workers are visiting you for the first time and therefore unfamiliar with the premises, unprepared for the hazards, or unaware of any safety measures they should take. They may have had no health and safety training at all.

What Do I need To Consider?
A policy for the selection and control of contractors;
Approved contractor status for those in regular use;
Obtain confirmation in advance of the work that the contractor holds adequate public liability insurance. The policy must cover the activities undertaken on your behalf i.e. hot work, or working at height etc.
Ensure a risk assessment is completed for each job and the contractor is involved
Put clear risk control measures in place and ensure supervision of contractors is effective.

What Key Actions Do I need To Take?
Introduce a Control of Contractor Policy and a Permit to Work system, authorise contractors using a questionnaire as part of a formal selection process, agree a formal risk control procedure including method statements where appropriate.
Ensure your managers and staff understand your control of contractors policy and their specific and general health and safety responsibilities when contractors are on site.

Where Can I Get Further Information?
The HSE provide information on a wide range of topics via the HSE Books website. For example:
‘Essentials of health and safety at work’
INDG417 Leading health and safety
HSG159 Managing contractors
INDG368 (Rev 1) Use of contractors: a joint responsibility
HSG250 Guidance on permit-to-work systems
Health and safety passport schemes

Advice and Support?
Please contact Marc Brennan if further guidance or advice is needed

Tel 07879 49356

Be Aware- Electrical Installations
Be Aware- Electrical Installations 1920 1280 James Hallam

This month sees the publication of the 18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations. These regulations apply to the design, erection and verification of electrical installations; and additions and alterations to existing installations.

Also known as BS 7671:2018 Requirements for Electrical Installations, these changes were issued on 2nd July 2018 and will come into effect on 1st January 2019.

The period between publication and application gives a 6-month window for electrical contractors and others responsible for installing and maintaining electrical installations to become familiar with the new regulations.

Whilst there are many small changes from the previous 17th Edition, some of the significant updates in the new 18th Edition cover include:

  • Protection Against Electric Shock – changes to regulations relating to protective equipotential bonding and those relating to disconnection times.
  • Protection Against Thermal Effects – of particular relevance to fire, a new regulation has been introduced recommending the installation of arc fault detection devices (AFDDs) to mitigate the risk of fire in final circuits of a fixed installation due to the effects of arc fault currents.
  • Protection Against Voltage Disturbances – stipulating that transient over-voltage protection has to be installed when (amongst others) the consequences caused by over-voltage results in interruption of commercial or industrial activity.
  • Inspection and Testing – this has been revised to align Inspection and Testing requirements to other revisions within the 18th Edition.
  • Energy Efficiency – recommendations for the design and erection of electrical installations with local production and storage of energy to optimise the use of electricity. These are listed in a new appendix.

This doesn’t mean that existing electrical installations installed in accordance with earlier editions of the wiring regulations are now unsafe or require upgrading, but any new installations, alteration or additions made from 1st January 2019 onwards will need to comply with the new regulations.

It is always recommended to hire contractors who are members of a trade body such as NICEIC when choosing an electrical contractor to inspect and test electrical installations within your premises. Many commercial insurance contracts contain a fixed wiring electrical inspection condition and generally stipulate use of an NICIEC contractor.

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