Quintain's Build to Let estate rebadged as 'Quintain Living'

The initial 'revolutionary' marketing strategy.

Quintain, the major developer of Wembley Park, has announced that from October 5th its Build to Rent properties will be marketed as Quintain Living, rather than  Tipi.

Its image thus moves more towards selling a life style rather than independence from dodgy private landlords.

The life style approach can be seen here:

At the same time Quintain announced the appointment of a new chief operating officer for their estate. She is Danielle Bayless who is the vice president of operations for California based Essex Property Trust which has 23,000 properties.

In a further and perhaps relevant development reliable sources have told Wembley Matters that the new properties at Brent House in Wembley High Road appear to be unoccupied.  Just up the road are the many properties in the 'Twin Towers' which the developer is attempting to market under the friendly sounding 'Uncle' name.

Brent Council to debate the Private Rented Housing Sector on Monday

Time is set aside at each council meeting for a non-cabinet member debate. Tomorrow Cllr Fleur Donnelly-Jackson, Willesden Green ward.

One area missing is the high-end purpose built private rented sector such as those built by Quintain in Wembley under the Tipi name.  There aside from rent the service charges have become an issue (see ) and renters have found also themselves trapped into contracts with utility and broad-band suppliers. As these contracts are negotiated for all  residents by the property management company, people cannot search our cheaper suppliers.


Motion for Non Cabinet Member debate

Private Rented Housing Sector

This Council notes:
The important work carried out by the Private Housing Enforcement team:

·      Brent has an estimated 36,000 privately rented properties. The Private Housing Enforcement team carry out between 30-40 planned inspections per week, plus an additional 10-15 unannounced inspection raids. 


·      Brent Council has won 140 landmark prosecution cases against rogue landlords, agents and sub-letters since 2016. The convictions have resulted in more than £1.1m in court fines and costs. 


·      A total of 901 PRS Properties have been improved as a consequence of their interventions, since January 2018. 


·      Brent Council is registered with, and a member of the Housing Ombudsman Service. We also contribute to the renters’ advice service: Advice 4 Renters, and enforcement officers give A4R’s advice leaflets to tenants when they visit. They also signpost tenants to A4R’s website, or SSP Law (solicitor firm contracted by Brent Council to advise tenants). 


This despite the Council operating against a backdrop of prolonged austerity. We therefore also note : 


·      The average price paid for property in Brent in the last year stands at nearly half a million pounds. Consequently it is no small wonder that the proportion of people renting privately has doubled since 2004; half of 18-35s, 1 in 4 families with children, and growing numbers of older people now live in privately rented homes [1]. 


·      That most of England’s 11 million renters are on tenancies with fixed terms of six months or a year; after this period has ended, landlords can evict their tenants with just two months’ notice, without giving them a reason. These ‘no fault evictions’ were introduced under Section 21 of the 1988 Housing Act; before this, renters had much greater security and it was difficult for landlords to evict tenants who paid the rent on time and looked after the property. 


·      Evictions are the number one cause of homelessness with 80% of evictions on no-fault grounds, and 63% of private renters who were forced to move in 2016 evicted not due to any fault of their own but because the landlord wanted to sell or use the property [2,3,4]. 


·      The recent Guardian and ITV investigation into rogue landlords operating in Brent, and note how a number of these criminals wilfully exploit loopholes within existing legislation. 


·      The London Mayor’s online “rogue landlord checker” is available to all Londoners and has received more than 1,000 entries from local authorities. 


·      That Karen Buck MP’s private members bill on “Homes (fitness for human habitation)”, which seeks to require that residential rented accommodation is provided and maintained in a state of fitness for human habitation. We also welcome the progress of the tenants’ fees bill through Parliament. 


This Council believes:

·      That housing is intrinsically linked to poverty and life chances. Children need secure homes from which to excel in their schooling. Adults need a secure home in order to work, flourish, and take part in society to their fullest potential. 


·      The Government has been forced into a U-turn after a Guardian and ITV News investigation revealed that not a single name had been entered into the government’s new rogue landlord database system in more than six months since its launch – and that even when landlords’ names were listed, the public would not be allowed to see them. [5] 


·      Landlord licensing is not fit for purpose until universally implemented, and the problem of rogue landlords is far-reaching beyond borough boundaries. We need an effective scheme, local authorities that are properly resourced and improved tenants’ rights. A national regulatory framework would ensure consistent regulation for all landlords across the country and stop the rogues from switching local authorities. 


·      To fix this broken system, we need a complete rebalancing of the power relationship between landlords and tenants. The underlying issues of the housing crisis will only be solved by the construction of social and genuinely affordable housing on an unprecedented scale, with legislative teeth to punish rogue landlords. 


·      Mass homelessness is a national disgrace, and removing its leading causes should be a priority. 


·      Alongside tackling homelessness, abolishing Section 21 no-fault evictions would help to make renting more secure, improve standards, increase tenant confidence and ultimately contribute towards making renting a viable long-term alternative to home ownership or social rent for the millions who currently cannot access either. 


·      Renters Unions would make it easier for tenants to defend their rights, and for existing unions like the London Renters Union to defend their members

This Council resolves:

·      To support the abolition of Section 21 no fault evictions. 


·      To note that the Council will continue to serve improvement notices and emergency remedial 
action notices on landlords where private rented homes fail physical inspection, which can 
restrict the scope of private landlords to serve retaliatory section 21 notices. 


·      To call for the tightening of legislation so landlords can’t use property agents to hop from 
borough to borough. 


·      To support new renters’ unions to allow renters to organise and defend their rights, and to 
make the housing market fairer.

 
Councillor Fleur Donnelly-Jackson Willesden Green Ward 


Notes: 
Prosecutions: 
https://www.brent.gov.uk/council-news/press-releases/pr6728/https://www.brent.gov.uk/council-news/press-releases/pr6719/ 
Action 4 Renters – annual report 
http://www.advice4renters.org.uk/files/9415/1181/6010/AR_2017.pdf

http://www.advice4renters.org.uk/files/9415/1181/6010/AR_2017.pdf


 

Footnotes: 


[1] English Housing Survey 2016-17

[2] ‘Record numbers left homeless after eviction by private landlords in England’, The Guardian, 28.9.16

[3] ‘How eviction leads to homelessness: “My youngest child doesn’t know what a home is”’, The Guardian, 8.1.18

[4] ‘The state of private renting’, Inside Housing, 2.8.17


[5] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/oct/24/government-policing-of-rogue-landlords-labelled-pathetic


[6] https://www.london.gov.uk/rogue-landlord-checker

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Should Wembley residents be picking up the bill for Quintain’s mistakes?

Guest blog by ' A Wembley Park Resident'.

The first residential block in Quintain’s rapidly expanding Wembley Park empire, Forum House was a flagship development at the time it opened back in 2009.   Along with neighbouring Quadrant Court which opened a year later, these developments were intended to establish Wembley Park’s reputation for “destination living” at an affordable price.   These early developments were mixed tenure - with private leaseholders and renters, shared owners and social renters all moving in to the new blocks. But as Quintain rolling out new developments at a rate of knots, some of which feature no properties at social rent, they appear to have taken their eye off the ball when it comes to ensuring that their original residents remain satisfied.  Most of their efforts are going into marketing newer luxury properties, and promoting their much-vaunted Tipi scheme, based on a build-to-rent model.

Quintain implicitly acknowledged that the managing agents they had originally contracted to oversee the developments were under-performing when they took the contract away from LRM and awarded it to rivals First Port.  But the full scale of LRM’s failure only became clear subsequently, after they left a vast deficit (thought to be just short of £100,000) in the Forum House annual accounts for 2016-17. Despite already high-levels of service charge, LRM had apparently failed to make any provision for a sinking fund - necessary for prudent management of any estate - and had consistently overspent despite failing to address recurring problems in servicing the estate, including the regularly faulty boilers and pumps.

So who is to pay for the shortfall?   LRM has now pocketed its fees and the accounts have been signed off.   Quintain might yet to be entitled to query whether LRM delivered on its contractual obligations, and potentially recover some of their cash.   But in the meantime, it’s been left to residents to cough-up for a significant “balancing charge” running into hundreds of pounds each, whilst at the same time being hit with major service charge increases from First Port (using LRM’s questionable figures as a baseline guide).   

In his usual suave manner, Quintain boss James Saunders promised WPRA’s febrile Wider Residents Meeting in June that the company would undertake a review of what monies could be reclaimed from LRM, which he anticipated might take three months.   But when the residents have asked for a progress update, no further reassurances have been given. Residents fear they’ll still be on the hook for the costs of having been failed by the freeholder and managing agents. Isn’t it time, they are asking, that Quintain paid the price for its own mistakes?

First Port attempt to justify leap in service charges at Quadrant Court, Wembley Park

Management agents First Port have responded to residents' concerns LINK over increases in service charges with a Q&A seeking to explain how they arrived at the increases at Quadrant Court.

They quote an increase of 7% but also recognise that this does not include several major items of additional expenditure.  They do not discuss what one what resident described as the 'rocketing' charges they pay for the maintenance of the Wembley Park estate, now costing their residents at least  £100,000 a year.

The 'all-in' Tipi style private rental build by Quintain, supported by Brent Council, leaves room for increases in broadband, utility, maintenance and concierge  charges, over and above the basic rent, with residents tied service charges based on whatever deals the management agents arrange.

This is the Q&A sent to Quadrant Court residents (Click bottom left to enlarge):

View the Daily Telegraph's PR plug for Quintain's Wembley development

Be aware that the park shown in the opening sequence does not yet exist. Will that valuable land end up being built on? Don't mention that none of the homes are affordable for local people and there is no social housing, while there are thousands on the council's housing waiting list.

Source Daily Telegraph Business Club.

Brent approves more high rise flats at Wembley Stadium

I wasn't able to attend last week's Planning Committee so I am afraid you will have to make do with Brent Council's PR gloss on the latest approval of tower blocks at Wembley Stadium.  As usual the 'affordable' designation remains unexplored. 'Affordable' for whom?

 Brent Council's planning committee last night (Wed 15 March) gave approval for the development of 743 new homes for rent on the doorstep of the iconic Wembley Stadium, part of 5,000 new homes to be built over the next seven years.

When completed the homes will be part of the largest new build rental-only scheme in the UK, surpassing the current biggest in East Village, Stratford which has 3,000 properties. The homes will be available through developer Quintain's build to rent business Tipi, which was launched last year.

Of the 733 residential rental units, 42 per cent (303) will be offered under the affordable housing scheme and the remaining 58 per cent (440) available for market rent.

The new dwellings will range from 12 to 26 storeys in height and will include residential landscaped gardens, a clubhouse, energy centre, 91 coach parking spaces to support Stadium event days, and 569 square metres of commercial space.

The approval comes as part of the regeneration of the area around the stadium by Quintain which includes 11,500 new homes.

The 25-year project will also create 10,000 new jobs, apprenticeships and business opportunities. By the end of 2017 there will be 3,000 homes under construction in the Wembley Park area within a development containing a new seven acre public park, a new landscaped London square, a primary school and a wide range of shops, restaurants and workspaces.

Cllr Shama Tatler, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Growth, Employment and Skills said:

We know that buying in London is out of reach for many and with rising rent costs we are pressing developers to deliver as many affordable units as possible. We are committed to raising standards in our private rented sector and these newly built and professionally managed homes will provide high quality and safe places to live.

The vision for this vibrant new residential area in Brent will take some years to deliver, but work is well underway. Innovative architecture and design combined with retail, green spaces and excellent transport links create a great place to live and work.