Property tips, regulation news, and a look at what’s happening behind the scenes
Welcome to the November Newsletter
Welcome to the November 2025 Habitare Property Management update, with seasonal building care advice, Building Safety Act communication reminders, and news on how we’re improving resident support this winter. Habitare manages residential blocks across the UK, helping residents, leaseholders, and directors live in well-maintained, compliant, and smoothly run buildings.
Property Management Tip of the Month: Winter Readiness – Preventing Frozen Pipes & Costly Leaks
Cold weather increases the risk of frozen pipes, especially in exposed areas and low-heated spaces. Frozen pipework can burst during thawing, causing major leaks and disruption.
How to reduce winter pipe risk:
- Keep a low background heat on if you’re away for more than a day or two.
- Make sure you know your stop-tap location so you can isolate water quickly if needed.
- Leave kitchen and bathroom cupboard doors open during cold spells to help warm air reach plumbing.
- Report communal leaks early (riser cupboards, plant rooms, hallway ceilings).
- Small preventative steps now can avoid emergency repairs later.
Legal Watch: Buildings Safety Act Updates – Clear Resident Communication
The Building Safety Act continues to place stronger duties on how safety information is shared with residents, particularly in higher-risk buildings. A key requirement is clear, reliable communication, ensuring residents can receive notices promptly, understand risks, and raise concerns easily.
Habitare is aligning all our buildings with best-practice safety communication to protect residents and support well-managed communities.
What we’re working on: Resident Engagement Strategy – Confirming Contact Details
Under the Building Safety Act, higher-risk buildings must have a Resident Engagement Strategy — a structured approach to keeping residents informed, consulted, and involved in safety matters.
As part of this work, we’ll be contacting all residents this month to confirm that your contact and emergency details are correct, so you don’t miss:
- urgent safety notices
- fire or structural updates
- planned works notifications
- resident consultation surveys.
Update your details now (takes 2 minutes):
Email buildingsafety@habitare.uk with your flat number and updated details, or
WhatsApp 01245 330 291 — say “Hi”, select Building Safety, and Ellis will guide you through verification. You’ll receive periodic WhatsApp and email prompts to keep details current — helping both safety compliance and smooth day-to-day communication.
“I spoke to Louise today about my 3 Service Charge Accounts. She explained everything in an easy to understand way. The service was excellent indeed” – Resident Review – 17th November 2025
Introducing the Habitare AI Digital Assistant Family
This month we’re launching the Habitare AI Digital Assistant Family to support faster, clearer, and more reliable resident communication.
What this means for residents:
- Faster WhatsApp replies to common questions (repairs, access, service charge basics, who to contact).
- Clearer updates during works or incidents, written in plain English.
- Quicker routing of urgent issues to the right team member.
- Better tracking of recurring building problems, helping prevent repeat issues.
Important reassurance:
The AI Digital Assistant Family never replaces your property manager or building safety team.
It does not make final decisions on safety, costs, complaints, or enforcement.
Anything complex or sensitive goes straight to a person.
How to use it:
Message Habitare on WhatsApp and say “Hi” any time. If a Digital Assistant can help quickly, it will. If not, your request is routed to the right human — with your context already captured so you don’t have to repeat yourself.
Updates & Offers: A Win-Win – Earn Up to £1000 with Habitare’s Refer a Friend – Earn Up to £1000
Know a neighbouring building that needs better block management? Introduce Habitare and you could earn up to £1000 for a successful referral.
Contact Habitare
For support anytime:
support@habitare.uk | WhatsApp 01245 330 291 (text ‘Hi’)
Habitare Learning Hub – Winter Readiness Mini-Pack
We’ve added a Winter Readiness mini-pack to the Habitare Learning Hub, including guidance on:
- preventing condensation and damp
- heating efficiency tips
- what to do in a leak emergency
- winter fire safety reminders.
Have a topic you want covered next? Email support@habitare.uk or messaging us on WhatsApp at 01245 330 291.
Ask Habitare: Your Questions Answered
Q: What should I do if I lose heating or hot water in winter?
If the issue is inside your flat (e.g., your own boiler), you’ll usually need to arrange repair directly.
If you think it’s a communal or building system issue, contact us immediately via WhatsApp or email so we can check and escalate quickly.
Q: Why do you need my emergency contact details?
Under the Building Safety Act, we must have reliable ways to contact residents quickly if there is a safety or building-wide issue. Accurate emergency details help us protect you and your neighbours.
Got a question? Email us at support@habitare.uk and we may feature it in next month’s newsletter.
Seasonal Tip: Ventilation Still Matters in Winter
Sealing up homes in winter can lead to condensation and mould. Simple daily steps help:
- open windows briefly once a day
- use extractor fans when cooking/showering
- keep trickle vents open where fitted.
Maintenance Focus: Communal Heating & Plant Rooms
Our teams are checking communal boilers, plant rooms, and heating controls across developments to reduce winter breakdown risk. Please report early warning signs such as leaks, loud plant-room noises, smells, or communal radiators not heating properly.
Health & Safety Reminder: Keep Communal Areas Clear
Winter brings bulky deliveries and extra storage. Please keep corridors and stairwells clear of bikes, pushchairs, doormats that obstruct walkways, or disposal items. Clear routes protect escape paths and reduce trip hazards.
THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE HABITARE COMMUNITY
Your reports, feedback, and involvement help shape safer, better-run buildings.
Please keep an eye out for our contact-detail confirmation message this month, and update yours as soon as possible if anything has changed.
As always, we welcome your thoughts on what you’d like to see in future newsletters. You can reach us anytime at: support@habitare.uk or WhatsApp at 01245 330 291.
We’ll see you next month with more winter advice, updates, and news from your Habitare team.