Category: Insight

Selected by our staff, as Spike’s chosen Charity of the Year for 2024, Hope for Food is a volunteer-driven charity dedicated to providing essential services to individuals and families facing homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity in our local area. Their mission, built on respect and dignity, aligns perfectly with our own company values.

Our last distribution drive with Hope for Food was incredibly rewarding and left a lasting impression on everyone involved. So, with great anticipation, we embarked on our latest initiative, eager to build on the positive experiences of the past. This time, we decided to infuse a bit of cultural flavour into the community meals by introducing a beloved South Indian dish: vegetable biryani.

Bringing Cultures Together Through Food

In a bid to diversify the meals we provided at the community event, Sriya and Shimna, part of our Quality Assurance team, kindly took time out of their day to cook 45 portions of vegetable biryani.

Hailing from South India, this dish holds a special place in their hearts, and they were proud to share it with the community. By sharing this dish, they hoped to offer the community not just a meal, but a taste of their culture and a piece of their home. Biryani is also a favourite when brought in for our office socials and gatherings! 

The Power of a Shared Meal

The sight of the cooked biryani drew smiles and sparked curiosity among the guests, as many of them had never heard of biriyani before, let alone tried it. Our distribution team, alongside Hope for Food volunteers, eagerly served the hot meals, ensuring everyone had a helping of this delicious dish. 

In addition to our contribution, we were delighted to work alongside Leah from White Elephant (By Sala Thai), a local, family-run Thai restaurant that regularly volunteers their time and culinary expertise. They prepared delicious Thai curry dishes for the community meal distribution. The combination of Indian biryani and Thai curry offered a unique and delightful dining experience for the guests, showcasing the rich diversity of flavours from different cultures.

Beyond just serving food, the team engaged with the guests, helping to clean up, hand out toiletries and fresh produce, and most importantly, offer a listening ear. Many of the guests face loneliness and hardship, and the simple act of sharing a meal and a conversation can make a significant difference in their lives. 

A Taste of Home, a Touch of Care

The guests appreciated the effort of bringing something new and flavourful to the table. One guest remarked, “I’ve never had this before and didn’t know if I would like it, but I’m glad I tried it, it was delicious.” This sentiment was echoed by many others, who expressed gratitude for the warmth and friendliness of all those who volunteered their time to take part in the community meals.

For Sriya and Shimna, this experience was particularly meaningful. They were able to share a piece of their heritage and see the joy it brought to others. It was a reminder of how food can bridge cultural divides and bring people together in unexpected ways.

Reflections and Looking Forward

Our second experience with Hope for Food reinforced the importance of community and the power of kindness. It was heartening to see how a simple dish like biryani could bring so much joy and comfort. This event also highlighted the value of cultural exchange and the ways in which our diverse backgrounds can enrich the lives of others. 

As we look forward to future collaborations with Hope for Food, we are inspired to continue exploring new ways to support and uplift the community. Whether through meals, conversations, or shared experiences, we are committed to making a positive impact. 

You can help support their fantastic work here. 

While much attention is often given to environmental sustainability (or the E of ESG), the pillar of social responsibility (the S) deserves equal emphasis in terms of its importance to an operator’s ESG strategy. This aspect of ESG emphasises the impact that businesses and organisations have on the people and communities around them.

In this joint blog between ASK4 and Spike, we explore how prioritising social responsibility can transform multi-tenant buildings into vibrant communities that benefit both residents and the wider community in which developments are located.

Creating Health and Vibrant Spaces

At the heart of social responsibility lies a commitment to the well-being of residents. Building owners and operators can enhance the quality of life within their buildings by prioritising health and safety standards, ensuring comfortable indoor environments, and providing amenities that promote physical and mental wellness. By fostering spaces where people feel safe, supported, and connected, multi-tenant buildings can become hubs of vitality and positivity.

Technology can help facilitate this within buildings. ASK4’s pervasive connectivity makes it much easier for residents to take advantage of communal spaces, with private WiFi networks extending across an entire development. This enables residents to take their devices wherever they want around the building with no loss of connection and no need to sign up to public networks. This allows for secure connectivity when working, for example, or continued connection to devices within their apartment, giving them control of their home environment, even when using amenity spaces.

Pervasive connectivity also enables smart building and ESG technologies which monitor and control environmental factors like air quality, temperature, and lighting in real-time, ensuring optimal indoor conditions.

Additionally, Spike’s resident engagement portal, Spike Living, can provide residents with access to health and wellness resources, from booking onsite amenities such as yoga rooms and gym sessions to accessing virtual fitness classes. As well as receiving mental health support through relevant content and quick access to staff, in addition to community wellness events, promoting a holistic approach to well-being.

Engaging with the Community

Beyond the four walls of the building, social responsibility extends to the surrounding community. Building owners can actively engage with local initiatives and organisations, supporting causes that address social issues such as homelessness, poverty, and education.

Spike Living, for instance, provides a much-needed lifeline to the local high street. Operators can offer residents a guide to all the places around them, and by partnering with local businesses, provide exclusive discounts via their residents’ app, encouraging residents to fall in love with their independent chains. By investing in the well-being of the broader community, multi-tenant buildings can become catalysts for positive change, driving impact far beyond their physical footprint.

Embracing Diversity and Inclusion

Inclusive communities are stronger communities. By promoting diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) within their buildings, owners and operators can create environments where all tenants feel valued and respected. This includes implementing policies and programmes that support underrepresented groups, providing equal opportunities for all, and fostering a culture of acceptance and belonging.

Spike Living allows residents to create their own clubs and forums, allowing residents to find like-minded people who share similar interests. As the app caters exclusively for building residents, it offers a safer alternative to groups on Facebook or other social media, which are easily infiltrated by spammers and strangers, helping residents to make truly local new friends. By embracing diversity, multi-tenant buildings can harness the collective strength of their diverse occupants.

Fostering Stakeholder Engagement

Lastly, social responsibility requires open and transparent communication with stakeholders. Building owners should actively seek input from residents, employees, investors, and community members, listening to their concerns and incorporating their feedback into decision-making processes.

Solutions like Spike Living can also serve as a virtual town square, allowing residents to voice their opinions and preferences regarding local initiatives. This can make communication between residents and operators much more transparent, helping to build trust and ensuring that residents are kept informed about ongoing projects.

By fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability, owners can build trust and credibility, driving collective action towards shared social responsibility goals.

Summary

Social responsibility is not just a moral imperative—it’s a strategic imperative for owners and operators of multi-tenant buildings. With 75% of residents expressing a desire to expand their social network and get to know their neighbours, it’s clear that many crave access to a connected community. Yet less than 40% feel they belong in their community. By prioritising social impact alongside environmental sustainability and governance practices, building owners and operators can create communities that thrive, contribute positively to society, and leave a lasting legacy, not only for future residents, but for the wider locality.

What’s more, a recent study by the National Multifamily Housing Council found that resident satisfaction is strongly correlated with retention rates. Communities with higher resident satisfaction scores tend to experience lower turnover rates, with 75% of residents reporting that addressing wellbeing is important to community management. In addition, according to the Social Market Foundation, maximising social value in real estate can also lead to a 5% uplift in the market value of an asset.

Investing in developing a community not only enhances the resident experience but it can also lead to better outcomes. This is evidenced in our Changing Behaviours report where we found that building owners could reduce carbon emissions in the region of 7% – 35%. There is also a growing priority for sustainability amongst Gen Z evidenced by 72% willing to spend more on services produced in a sustainable fashion. The need to have sustainability at the forefront of development is only growing across the new generation of residents.

The relationship between property managers and leaseholders has become increasingly strained in recent years, primarily due to heightened expectations, communication breakdowns, and the complexities of property management as a result of ever-increasing legislation. Leaseholders often feel neglected or inadequately informed, leading to dissatisfaction and mistrust. Meanwhile, property managers grapple with the challenges of maintaining transparency, ensuring timely responses, and efficiently handling a multitude of tasks.

With the Hackitt report identifying the need to rebuild public trust by creating a system where residents feel informed and included in discussions on safety, rather than a system where they are ‘done to’ by others, it’s clear that change is overdue.

What’s more, with only 50% of residents satisfied with their building management company, according to recent research by the Health and Safety Executive, having the right technology in place can therefore play an important role in improving the property manager-leaseholder relationship.

Here are 5 ways in which technology can help: 

Communicate with Ease

Clear and timely communication can reduce misunderstandings, improve transparency, and foster trust and collaboration among leaseholders, ultimately contributing to a healthier leaseholder-property manager relationship.

One of the primary benefits using systems like Spike PMS is streamlined communication. With a direct way to communicate with their property managers, leaseholders can raise concerns, seek clarification, or request additional information.

From a property management perspective, property managers can share important updates, news, and announcements through the Spike app. Whether it’s information about upcoming maintenance work, community events, or policy changes, leaseholders can stay informed.

What’s more, as all communication sent to a property, leaseholder or tenant is logged in Spike, property managers can see who’s opened and read the communication which forms an important part of the golden thread, and can be used as evidence of notification, in case of future disputes.

 Convenient Service Charge Payments 

With 70% of leaseholders experiencing significant stress due to issues like unclear service charges and lack of responsible communication according to research by the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHe), solutions like Spike PMS can provide transparent insights into financial transactions, enabling leaseholders to view detailed service charge statements and transaction histories, ensuring clarity and accountability in financial matters.

Additionally, Spike PMS offers secure payment where leaseholders can make service charge payments via an app, further enhancing transparency and convenience.

Simplify Issue Reporting  

Recent research by the Health and Safety Executive, revealed that 4 in 10 residents think it’s difficult to raise an issue, whilst maintenance issues take up to 80% of a property managers time. Without a central system in place, leaseholders will use email, WhatsApp messages or text messages to report issues. Sporadic messages and using different channels make it challenging for property managers to keep track of what has been reported and run the risk of duplicating reports, making it even harder to keep leaseholder updated on the progress. Not to mention making it almost impossible to track against Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and performance metrics for response times.

What’s more, the Building Safety Act (BSA) 2022 mandates that property management companies must have an effective system in place for residents to report issues and submit feedback, with building safety complaints needing to be prioritised based on the level of risk involved rather than that date they were received.

Systems such as Spike PMS can streamline maintenance management by allowing residents to submit maintenance requests directly via a mobile app, and even attach photos so that staff can diagnose the fault ahead of time. What’s more, the system can flag any high-priority issues based on the information that has been submitted.

This means that high-risk issues can be immediately flagged and directed to the relevant team members. Issues can also be automatically shared with external approved contractors to be investigated and resolved, with residents being informed and kept up to date on the progress.

Access to key Documentation  

Storing important documents and compliance-related information digitally and providing easy access to relevant information facilitates transparency and accountability in property management practices.

Spike PMS enables leaseholders to access crucial documents, including lease agreements, move-in checklists, and crucially the Resident Engagement Strategy (RES). These documents are readily available within the app, empowering leaseholders to view them whenever necessary. This transparency fosters clear communication and understanding.

What’s more, with Spike PMS, you can automate the sending of communication and documentation. For instance, when there is an update to the fire policy or RES, property managers can automatically send an update out to all residents via push notifications to resident phones and emails to review and acknowledge, ensuring that you remain compliant, and nothing gets missed.

Digital Record-Keeping 

Spike PMS has been designed to be the single view for property managers, with integrations with third-party systems including finance, CRM, and maintenance management. By pulling in data from different systems and sources, this allows property managers to see all logged activities against a property, leaseholder and tenant, enabling property managers to quickly and efficiently find and access the information they need, whenever they need it. This means that property managers can spend less time digging through files and emails, and claw back some of that precious time to focus on other activities. As well as being able to have a central activity log, in case of future disputes.

Summary 

By leveraging digital tools and platform like Spike PMS, property managers can enhance communication, streamline processes, and provide real-time updates, fostering a more harmonious and efficient relationship with leaseholders.

In a world where connectivity is abundant, we ironically find ourselves less connected to the physical world than ever before. With 75% of residents expressing a desire to expand their social network and get to know their neighbours, it’s clear that many crave access to a connected community. Yet less than 40% feel they belong in their community.

What’s more, a recent study by the National Multifamily Housing Council found that resident satisfaction is strongly correlated with retention rates. Communities with higher resident satisfaction scores tend to experience lower turnover rates, with 75% of residents reporting that addressing wellbeing is important to community management.

With this in mind, developers are increasingly looking for ways to integrate health and wellness into their core offerings. Technology can play a crucial role in fostering this culture. Here’s how resident engagement portals like Spike Living can help build a wellness-focused community. 

1.) Facilitating communication and connection 

Online Community Clubs and Forums

Resident portals like Spike Living empower residents to meet their neighbours via online clubs and forums, then organise real-life meetups whenever they feel ready. From fitness clubs for activities like running, walking, and cycling to clubs focused on living with particular health issues, these groups encourage residents to stay active and build strong social connections. Unlike traditional social media, Spike Living can only be accessed by residents, ensuring that they are communicating with genuine neighbours without the risk of scammers and strangers.

Event Notifications 

Findings from the HomeViews Build to Rent Report 2024 indicate that residents participating in community challenges are 20% more likely to report higher levels of overall satisfaction with their living environment. By providing the ability for developers and operators to promote events directly to residents via the Spike Living app, this can increase participation by 46%, and as events can be ticketed, this allows staff to know in advance how many residents to expect.

In addition, community challenges are a fun and effective way to engage residents and promote a culture of wellness. Spike Living makes it easy to organise and manage fitness challenges such as step count competitions, cycling miles, or group workout sessions. Residents can track their progress and see how they rank against their neighbours, adding a friendly competitive element. As well as encouraging residents to participate in healthy eating challenges by sharing recipes, creating cooking workshops, and tracking participants’ progress through the portal. 

2.) Promoting Mental and Physical Health 

Access to Amenities 

According to Mind UK, there are numerous studies that reveal how physical exercise can improve mental health, from lifting moods, to improving sleep and a great way to connect with others.

By utilising  Spike Living, residents can view and book available fitness classes and amenities within a few taps, all from the comfort and convenience of their homes. Spike Living also allows amenities and fitness classes to be ticketed and chargeable, providing an additional revenue stream for property managers.

Access to Information

Recent statistics from HomeViews’ 2023 Build to Rent (BTR) report show that communities with regular health and wellness communications have a 15% higher engagement rate among residents, demonstrating the impact of consistent and valuable information on resident participation.

Resident portals like Spike Living allow developers to share regular articles, tips, and updates related to health and wellness. Whether it’s advice on maintaining a balanced diet, the benefits of regular exercise, or mental health support, these updates keep residents informed and motivated. In addition, developers can also create and schedule monthly newsletters that highlight upcoming events, success stories from residents, and new health initiatives within the community.

3.) Fostering a Sense of Belonging 

Over 80% of residents report that they want to live in a neighbourhood with a thriving array of local businesses, Spike Living’s ‘around me’ feature encourages newcomers to explore their local area by providing a guide to all the places around them, and by partnering with local businesses, residents can benefit from exclusive discounts, encouraging them to fall in love with their independent chains. 

Summary

Technology plays a pivotal role in building a strong community culture around health and wellness by facilitating communication, promoting education, encouraging physical activity and mental well-being. As operators continue to navigate the demands of modern living, integrating resident engagement portals like Spike Living into their developments is not just beneficial – it’s essential.

Looking for more ideas on how to incorporate health and wellness events into your development? Download our 2024 Community Engagement Guide, which outlines numerous health and wellness related events throughout the year.

Our recent volunteer work at Hope for Food‘s community meals initiative was not only a humbling experience, but also a powerful reminder of the positive impact that community service can have on both those we help and ourselves.

Selected by our staff, as Spike’s chosen Charity of the Year for 2024, Hope for Food is a volunteer-driven charity dedicated to providing essential services to individuals and families facing homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity in our local area. Their mission, built on respect and dignity, aligns perfectly with our own company values.

Understanding the Need

The issue of food insecurity in the UK has reached alarming levels, with 7.2 million people living in ‘food insecure’ households in 2022/23, an increase of 2.5 million since the previous year. In light of these staggering statistics, we were determined to take action in our own local community here in Bournemouth.

Hope for Food supports around 160 families each week with food parcels, fresh produce, toiletries, and household cleaning packs. They also cater to the homeless and vulnerably housed by providing food, drinks, clothing, bedding, and other essentials to 600 guests each month, on a twice weekly basis. Their comprehensive support system responds to both general needs and specific requests from social and support workers, ensuring a wide-reaching impact. 

Our Volunteering Experience

Our staff split into two teams for this initiative. The cooking team prepared over 40 portions of shepherd’s pie and 5 vegetarian options, thanks to the generosity of a colleague who offered their kitchen.

The second team was responsible for packing the meals, ready for distribution at the community meals. This collaborative effort highlighted the strength of teamwork and the collective drive to make a difference. 

Upon transporting the meals to Hope for Food’s community meals initiative in Bournemouth, we joined the charity in setting up tables to distribute a variety of items. These included sandwiches, cakes, soup, hot drinks, clothes, books, and more to the 76 guests who attended. Our team members took on various roles, from distributing hot meals to providing clothing, engaging in conversations with guests, and ensuring that everyone felt supported and listened to. 

Impact on the Guests

The impact on the guests of the community kitchen was profound. Many of them received their first hot meal in days, a simple yet vital necessity that brought comfort and nourishment. The provision of clothing and other essentials also addressed immediate physical needs, while the act of engaging in conversation helped alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation, which are closely linked to homelessness. 

The gratitude expressed by the guests was overwhelming. For many, the community meals initiative is not just a place to receive food and clothing, but a safe space where they are treated with dignity and respect. Our presence and willingness to listen and support meant a great deal to them, reaffirming their sense of worth and humanity. 

We were amazed to see the number of volunteers who regularly took part in the community meal initiative. Their dedication and tireless efforts to support those in need were truly inspiring. These regular volunteers are the backbone of the operation, consistently showing up to make a difference in the lives of others. It was heartening to witness how our community comes together to support one another, embodying the spirit of solidarity and compassion. 

Benefits to the Local Community

Helping our local community benefits us all in multiple ways. It fosters a sense of solidarity and mutual support, strengthening the social fabric that binds us together. When we support those in need, we create a more inclusive and compassionate community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Additionally, addressing issues like food insecurity and homelessness can lead to broader societal benefits, such as improved public health and reduced social costs.

For us at Spike, the experience was deeply fulfilling. It provided a powerful reminder of the impact we can have when we come together to support our community. We left the community meal initiative with a renewed sense of purpose and pride, knowing that our efforts had made a tangible difference in the lives of others. It was an eye-opening experience, one that has inspired us to continue seeking ways to contribute to the well-being of our community. 

Support Hope for Food

To sustain and expand the invaluable work of Hope for Food, we encourage everyone to consider supporting their initiatives. Whether through donations, volunteering, or simply spreading the word, every bit of help can make a significant impact. Together, we can ensure that no one in our community has to face hunger or homelessness alone.

You can help support their fantastic work here. 

In our previous blog, we delved into the importance of effective communication when it comes to engaging residents on building safety. As many will be aware, the Building Safety Act (BSA) 2022 mandates that Accountable Persons (APs) prepare and keep under review a resident engagement strategy.  

The aims of this strategy are to ensure all residents:

• Feel safe in the buildings in which they live. 
• Know how to easily report any problems about their home or any part of the building which may impact on their or their neighbour’s safety. 
• Know what to do in the event of an incident in the block where they live. 

A core component of this is establishing and operating a system for the investigation of relevant complaints, as well as ensuring that residents are fully aware of their own responsibilities. 

So where do you start?

Firstly, it’s imperative to implement an effective system for residents to report issues and submit feedback, with building safety complaints able to be prioritised based on the level of risk involved rather than that date they were received. You should also consider what to do if residents find it challenging to articulate issues. For example, you may want to allow them to submit photos that help communicate their concerns. 

In addition, the  Principal Accountable Person (PAP) must keep a record of any relevant complaint for seven years, including details of the complaint, actions taken by APs, regulatory involvement, and the complaint’s resolution.

How technology can help?

With 81% of residents  saying that it’s important or very important for them to be able to access a portal from a mobile device, it’s paramount that you have a system in place that is mobile-friendly. This will encourage residents to report issues when they spot them rather than having to wait until they are back in front of a computer.

With Spike PMS, residents are able to report any concerns or issues via the Spike app, and even attach photos so that staff can get a clearer idea of the issue. 

What’s more, Spike PMS can flag any high priority issues based on the information that has been submitted. This means that high-risk issues can be immediately flagged and directed to the relevant team members, with SLAs being set up and tracked against. Issues can also be automatically shared with external approved contractors to be investigated and resolved, with residents being informed and kept up to date on the progress. As all history is recorded against a property, leaseholder and tenant, this provides a central log of all communication which can be used as evidence of notification, in case of future disputes. 

Additionally, according to the government’s building safety advice, residents must:

• Read and understand all information provided to them by the building’s duty holders. 
• Communicate any identified risks, hazards or concerns with the building’s structural safety and fire safety measures. 
• Strictly follow all fire safety measures for the building. 

With this in mind, Spike PMS provides residents with easy access to key documentation such as safety policies and fire safety documents via a mobile app. Furthermore, whenever newer versions are available residents can be notified, with staff able to see who’s opened and read them which forms an important part of the golden thread. 

Example

A resident notices a fire door isn’t closing properly. They immediately report the issue via the Spike app. The issue automatically gets sent to the maintenance team and flagged as a priority seeing as it is integral to the safety of the building and the rest of the residents. 

The maintenance team respond directly back to the resident acknowledging the reported issue and then send out a building-wide communication via email and the Spike app to notify the rest of the residents of the issue. 

Once the maintenance team arrive onsite and after inspecting the fire door, they find that the hinges are loose, causing it not to close properly. They replace the faulty hinges and ensure that the door meets all safety standards and regulations. They then schedule regular inspections over the coming weeks to prevent similar issues in the future. 

The property manager sends out an update to the rest of the building informing them that the issue has now been resolved and to remind residents of their responsibility to report any issues via the Spike app.  

Summary

With Spike PMS, property managers can ensure that they not only have an effective resident engagement strategy in place which can be communicated easily to all residents, but also able to provide a quick and effective way for residents to report safety concerns and request additional information via a dedicated app. Thus, ensuring building safety remains a collective responsibility among all stakeholders. 

We are delighted to share that Spike has been nominated for the PropTech Solution of The Year award at The Property Institute ACE Awards 2024, recognising Spike’s substantial impact in leveraging technology to reshape industry practices and enhance property managers’ efficiency throughout the past year.

In recent years, property management has evolved significantly due to technological advancements, regulatory changes, shifting tenant expectations, and a growing focus on community.

According to latest research, 89% of property managers believe that technology can streamline property management processes, while 31% of tenants do not renew their tenancies due to seeking better management.

In response to these trends, Spike has developed Spike PMS, an innovative property management platform, helping property professionals drive new efficiencies, discover compelling clarity and enhance client communication like never before.

Spike PMS provides full visibility of an entire portfolio at a glance giving managers access to the information they need, at their fingertips, whilst the dedicated app makes communication a breeze, bringing property managers, tenants, and leaseholders closer together.

As we eagerly await the ACE Awards ceremony on Friday 21st June 2024, at Old Billingsgate, London, we extend our gratitude to the judges for recognising Spike’s contributions to the industry.

Congratulations to all the finalists who made the shortlist! We’re looking forward to an exciting night celebrating innovation, excellence, and the future of the property management sector.

See the full shortlist here.

In collaboration with KC, Leasehold Property Expert and Founder of LeasedByKC.

In the fast-paced world of property management, where demands are high and time is always of the essence, maintaining the health and well-being of employees might seem like a secondary concern.  

However, with ever-increasing workloads and expectations placed on property managers, as well as the mounting pressure from external national sources, it is not surprising that 1 in 4 property managers are now considering leaving the industry according to the latest research. What’s more, property management staff consistently score well below the Office for National Statistics (ONS) averages when asked about how worthwhile their life is, their life satisfaction, and their level of happiness.  

While administrative tasks still make up a lot of the workload for a typical property manager, the role is shifting to one of relationship management, bringing a whole host of additional stress for property managers to contend with who ultimately want to deliver outstanding results to both leaseholders and their tenants.  

The role technology can play in supporting property managers

It’s no secret that current property management systems are outdated and lack the flexibility to keep up with the pace of change. Accessing even the most fundamental information can be arduous and time-consuming due to data being held in multiple systems, sporadic emails, and spreadsheets. 

Drawing on over 13 years of experience in the property sector, Spike’s innovative property management platform, Spike PMS, helps property managers drive new efficiencies, discover compelling clarity and enhance tenant and leaseholder communication like never before. 

Here’s how solutions like Spike PMS can contribute to enhancing health and well-being within the industry. 

Automate time-consuming tasks

On average, property managers spend 288 hours a year performing repetitive tasks. Tasks often include sending monthly reminders for service charge demands, welcome emails to new property owners, and sending key documentation such as the latest fire policies and key health and safety documents. 

Having systems in place that can automate many of these manual tasks can improve the work-life balance and productivity of property managers. This means that property managers can spend less time on administrative work and more time on the ground, conducting site inspections, meeting contractors, or building customer relationships via resident surgeries, reducing the number of complaints and improving morale. 

Efficient maintenance management for safety

Maintenance issues are a common source of stress in property management. Without a central system in place, leaseholders and their tenants will use email, WhatsApp messages or text messages to report issues. Sporadic messages and using different channels make it challenging for property managers to keep track of what has been reported and run the risk of duplicating reports, making it even harder to keep residents updated on the progress. Not to mention making it almost impossible to track against SLAs and performance metrics for response times. Property management is also a complaint-heavy industry and tracking complaints is crucial to protecting a company and individual staff in case of future legal disputes.

Property management systems such as Spike PMS can streamline maintenance management by allowing residents to submit maintenance requests directly via a mobile app, and even attach photos so that staff can diagnose the fault ahead of time. What’s more, the system can be set up to divert defects and issues directly to the relevant team members, or automatically shared with external approved contractors to be investigated and resolved, with residents being informed and kept up to date on the progress. 

Access a single centralised view of all data

More often or not, there will be a number of disparate tools and systems in place at a property management company which means that key information can be difficult to access. With one of the requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022 being that building owners and property managers should understand the needs of every household living within the building, it’s paramount that this information is easily accessible. 

Spike PMS has been designed to be the single view for property managers, with integrations with third-party systems including finance, CRM, and maintenance management. By pulling in data from different systems and sources, this allows property managers to see all logged activities against a property, leaseholder and tenant, enabling property managers to quickly and efficiently find and access the information they need, whenever they need it.

This means that property managers can spend less time digging through files and emails, and claw back some of that precious time to focus on other activities. As well as being able to have a central activity log to be used as evidence of notification, in case of future disputes. 

Effortless tenant and leaseholder communication 

On average, it can take up to 7 calls and emails to get hold of a resident. Clear and timely communication can reduce misunderstandings, improve transparency, and foster trust and collaboration among leaseholders, ultimately contributing to a healthier and more supportive work environment. 

Having a property management system in place means that regulatory documents and compliance-related information are also readily accessible. Storing important documents digitally and providing easy access to relevant information facilitates transparency and accountability in property management practices.  

Furthermore, Spike PMS provides transparent insights into financial transactions, enabling leaseholders and tenants to view detailed service charge statements and transaction histories, ensuring clarity and accountability in financial matters. Additionally, PMS platforms often offer secure payment portals where leaseholders can make service charge payments electronically, further enhancing transparency and convenience. 

Summary

Forward-thinking property management companies are realising that investing in systems and technology not only streamlines operations but also plays a crucial role in fostering a healthy and supportive work environment. By streamlining processes, facilitating efficient maintenance management, enabling data-driven decision-making, and enhancing communication, systems like Spike PMS can contribute to creating a positive work environment where employees can thrive.  

The Building Safety Act (BSA) 2022 introduces new requirements for building owners to demonstrate that they have effective measures in place to identify and manage safety risks. The Act enables residents in higher-risk buildings to have a say in the management of their building and raise concerns directly with the Accountable Person, who will have a duty to listen to them.

As part of their statutory obligations, the Act requires the Accountable Person(s) to prepare and keep under review a resident engagement strategy. It must provide residents with relevant safety information and risks about their building.

The strategy will need to be provided to all residents aged 16 years and over and should be regularly reviewed and updated. It also forms part of the golden thread of information and must be submitted with the safety case to the Building Safety Regulator. 

What does your resident engagement strategy need to include?

Every resident engagement strategy will be different, but the Act says it must detail:

• What information will be provided to residents.

• What residents will be consulted on.

• How residents’ views will be sought.

• How residents’ views will be taken into account.

• How the effectiveness of the strategy will be measured.

So where do you start?

One of the requirements of the Building Safety Act is that building owners and property managers should understand the needs of every household living within the building, especially if there are any disabled or vulnerable residents living there. As well as whether residents have a preferred language for communication. This will help shape your evacuation procedures and how you choose to communicate to residents on an ongoing basis.

Therefore, the success of your engagement strategy will rely heavily on how well you know the residents living within your buildings. Often this information can be difficult to access – resident information may be held in different systems, in sporadic emails, or managed by different staff. To ensure you comply with the Building Safety Act, it’s paramount that this information is easily accessible.

How technology can help?

Spike PMS has been designed to be the single view for property managers, with integrations to many third-party systems including finance, CRM and maintenance management. By consolidating data from different sources this enables property managers to quickly find and access the information they need, whenever they need it.

More importantly it enables them to perform various actions, such as having the ability to send out communication and documentation directly to tenants and leaseholders, whether that’s by email or directly to the Spike app. All communication and documentation that has been sent to a property, leaseholder or tenant is logged in Spike, with property managers able to see who’s opened and read the communication which forms an important part of the golden thread.

What’s more, with Spike PMS, you can automate the sending of communication and documentation. For instance when a resident moves into a building, property managers are able to set up a workflow that can automatically send all of the necessary fire safety documentation and any other important information to them, ensuring that you remain compliant, and nothing gets missed.

Example

Taking the example of having to know whether any residents are disabled and potentially would require assistance to evacuate the building in an emergency. If this information hasn’t been collected or property managers want to make sure it’s accurate and up to date, they can send out a service request directly to residents via the Spike app asking for residents to populate which then automatically gets logged and updated against the resident profile.

Once this information has been obtained, this provides property managers the ability to filter by these fields, and then send the appropriate communication and documentation such as tailored Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) or any other specific information relating to that individual resident.

Summary 

In order for your resident engagement strategy to be effective, consider the technology used to keep residents informed, engaged and updated.

Spike PMS brings property managers, tenants and leaseholders closer together via a dedicated app, ensuring that important safety information reaches those who need it, when they need it. This helps property managers meet obligations and the latest regulations.

Sign up to our webinar! 

Join our Tech Talk in partnership with The Property Institute on Thursday 9th May to learn how technology can:

• Use technology to increase building safety and support Golden Thread requirements.
• Identify your repetitive manual tasks and automate them.
• Strengthen customer retention and foster resident engagement using technology.