Trinity Estates, one of the largest property management companies in England and Wales specialising in service charge management, has achieved a top industry accreditation.
The 200-strong team at Trinity Estates are celebrating after being awarded ARMA-Q status by ARMA (Association of Residential Managing Agents) – the new regulatory regime for residential leasehold managing agents. Their accreditation puts them at the leading edge of best practice in property management.
Trinity Estates, whose head office is based in Hemel Hempstead, manage over 45,000 homes across England and Wales.
The management company have built an enviable reputation with its clients including; national and regional house builders, apartment block landlords and resident management companies.
From 2015 property owners who use Trinity Estates to manage their property will be guaranteed a number of safeguards including:
• Higher professional standards and levels of customer care
• A transparent and open service
• Access to an independent regulatory panel
To achieve accreditation, Trinity Estates had to demonstrate that they comply with over 160 rigorous industry standards. It’s the first time such measures have been introduced for agents in England and Wales, where there are an estimated five million leasehold properties.
Despite collecting over a billion pounds in service charges from leaseholders each year, managing agents are not regulated by the government. Unless they are members of a professional body, agents are unaccountable, which leaves the system open to abuse and inconsistent service levels.
Jonathan Smith, Managing Director of Trinity Estates, said: “This new accreditation really reflects the true commitment we have to exemplar standards, customer service and local knowledge despite our national reach.
“With more homes to look after in the UK than many other providers, the ARMA-Q standard is not just a certificate sitting in our head office; it is the ethos we instill in every member of our team to carry out their work with ultimate professionalism and transparency.”
ARMA’s chief executive Michelle Banks said: “Choosing the right managing agent can be a bit of a minefield. The industry’s not regulated so they don’t have to belong to a professional body or comply with specific standards. We’re introducing ARMA-Q so leaseholders can be confident they are choosing a quality agent.
“From 2015 anyone appointing an ARMA-Q agent to manage their property can have peace of mind that they conform to high standards, are bound by a consumer charter and are regulated independently. ARMA-Q accreditation is voluntary – managing agents don’t have to sign up. So those that do are showing a clear commitment to providing the best service.”
Trinity Estates celebrated after being Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) authorised and were also awarded the Investors in People accreditation earlier this year, the UK’s leading accreditation for business improvement through people management.
Jonathan added: “ARMA-Q is now added to our recent successful accreditations from the FCA and Investors in People. Each of which says much about Trinity.”
For more information about Trinity Estates visit www.trinityestates.com
