Beeliving Student & Professional Homes

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by Beeliving Student & Professional Homes's best practice article

The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from Beeliving Student & Professional Homes is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett

Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles

www.beeliving.co.uk

1BEELIVING STUDENT & PROFESSIONAL HOMES |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE

Director Katherine Le Prevost

Russell Galleries

Idan Asriel – an Israeli lawyer, property investor and developer

– founded BeeLiving Ltd in 1999. He decided to base his main

office in Nottingham, with the target demographic being

students. It didn’t take long for him to realise that with two

universities in the city, both of which are within the top 150

universities in the world, there was great demand for high-quality

affordable student accommodation. Idan proceeded to expand his

business by establishing Beeliving Student & Professional Homes.

I started by building my portfolio from scratch, and it now offers over 240 units,

all within a six-mile radius of the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent

University. The range of units includes flats, studios and house shares and can

accommodate anywhere from one to twelve people, in one or more units, according

to the group’s or person’s requirements. This makes the accommodation truly flexible.

In 2016, I decided to hire a new business and accounts manager: Katherine Le Prevost.

She has worked alongside me, helping to increase the company’s sales and reputation,

as well as taking control of all compliance. Katherine has helped greatly in pushing

the business forward and enabling a transparent and future-proof interface.

Maintenance and capital investment

Since the company’s foundation, there have been many great renovation and

construction projects within this portfolio. Our flagship building, Russell Galleries,

was developed from a listed derelict cotton mill. This sleek industrial building with

its unique design is a favourite with students. Since its renovation, every year it

FACTS ABOUT

BEELIVING STUDENT &

PROFESSIONAL HOMES

»Directors: Katherine Le Prevost

and Idan Asriel

»Founded in 1999

»Located in Nottingham

»Services: Property and lettings

agency

»Have a strong focus on tenant

rapport

»No. of employees: 15

»www.beeliving.co.uk

Beeliving Student &

Professional Homes

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

2| BEELIVING STUDENT & PROFESSIONAL HOMES

has housed 44 students within ten

different flats, ranging from one to six

bedrooms. For the finishing touches

to this project design, we employed a

distinguished up-and-coming artist to

create inspirational paintings within the

facility to give the building a younger,

more urban feel.

The renovations don’t stop there: every

year, a massive programme of capital

investment is planned out and adhered

to. With over 50 properties to work

through, this is a large task. Katherine

employs a team of maintenance

people and outsources some work

to regular contractors that have a

proven track record of quality control

within the business. This means the

properties always keep their modern

designs and appeal to students and

professionalsalike.

Current standing

The company has continued to grow

from strength to strength, with a yield

of between 9 and 11 per cent on all of

its units and an increase in the value

of its capital, year on year, of 7.2 per

cent. As lettings are at the core of the

business, it is important that it remains

constant throughout the year.

Due to the student market, there is

a secure environment – assuming,

that is, the sales team are on target

at the start of the student letting

season. With all student tenants

signing 48- or 50-week contracts, this

adds to sales profit when compared

with professional lets. This is because

there are only small voids deliberately

factored in to enable upgrades

to properties in time for the next

academic year – something that also

takes into account the new influx

ofstudents.

A passionate and skilled team

The team at Beeliving Ltd are all

passionate about their individual

roles within the business and strive to

perfect the letting experience across

all aspects, from contract signing to

cleanliness. The day-to-day running of

the team is carried out by Katherine.

She works closely with me to ensure

that all targets are met and every

aspect of the business is on top form.

She has over 20 years of business

management experience, as well as

a degree in the subject, meaning

she is a more than capable asset

to the company. She also manages

all compliance and ensures that all

Beeliving kitchen

We employed

a distinguished

up-and-coming

artist to create

inspirational

paintings

within the

facility to give

the building a

younger, more

urban feel

“

3BEELIVING STUDENT & PROFESSIONAL HOMES |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE

Nottingham City Council requirements

are met, including licensing for fire,

gas and electrical safety.

The full team has numerous facets,

including a designated lettings,

marketing, accounts and maintenance

lead. All of these employees have

worked closely together for over

two years. Within that time, newer,

more up-to-date systems have

been put into place to enable us to

become more cloud-based to keep up

withcompetitors.

An ethos that works for all

We are one of the few companies in

Nottingham that has its own team that

owns, lets, manages and maintains

such a large portfolio. Being a direct

landlord has great benefits, both

to the team and to all who live in

the accommodation. Every one of

our properties has a great “home

from home” feel, as they are all

fully furnished to a good standard.

This means that it is easy for tenants

to move in and feel comfortable

straightaway.

We’ve incorporated the slogan “our

hive your home”. It’s more than just

a string of words; it has a very real

meaning for us, and the tenants build

a great rapport with every member

of the team. The result of this is

that, together, the company and

the residents form a real family feel.

Customer care and satisfaction have

been at the forefront of our marketing

strategy over the last couple of years,

with word-of-mouth custom helping

us to gain and retain a lot of new and

old tenants.

No business of this nature is without

challenges, and we are no exception.

We have faced difficult issues

over the years, such as tougher

legislation, which can often come

at a considerable cost. The price of

the compliance, including all of the

relevant certification and licences, is

expensive and, in some respects, hard

to manage – especially while trying

not to increase prices and remain

competitive in the market. Tougher

laws also cause greater fear for

landlords, as civil penalties for genuine

people mean they live in fear that a

tenant’s actions – through no fault

of the landlord or the team – could

injurethem.

The result of this

is that, together,

the company

and the

residents form a

real family feel

“

Director Idan Asriel

Beeliving bedroom

www.beeliving.co.uk

This article was sponsored by Beeliving Student & Professional Homes. The Parliamentary Review is wholly funded by the representatives who write for it. The publication in which this article originally appeared contained the following foreword from Rt Hon Michael Gove.

Rt Hon Michael Gove's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By Rt Hon Michael Gove

This year's Parliamentary Review comes at a momentous time for parliament, as we collectively determine the destiny of the United Kingdom.

On October 31, the UK will leave the European Union. The successful implementation of this process is this government's number-one priority.

Three years after a historic referendum vote, we will deliver on the decisive mandate from the British people. Trust in our democracy depends on it. Until that final hour, we will work determinedly and diligently to negotiate a deal, one that abolishes the backstop and upholds the warm and close relationship we share with our friends, allies and neighbours in the EU. But in the event that the EU refuses to meet us at the table, we must be prepared to leave without a deal.

As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, it is my job to lead on this government's approach, should that scenario happen. Preparing for Brexit is my department's driving mission. But while I am leading this turbocharged effort, the whole of government is committed to this endeavour.

Ministers across Whitehall are working together to ensure that every possibility is considered, every plan is scrutinised and every provision is made. A daily drumbeat of meetings means that we are holding departments accountable, so that preparations are completed on time.

The chancellor has confirmed that all necessary funding will be made available. And we have mobilised thecivil service, assigning 15,000 of our most talented civil servants to manage our exit from the EU.

We will make sure that on November 1, there is as little disruption to national life as possible. Our trade relationships will continue to thrive, thanks to agreements with countries around the world worth £70 billion. Our country will remain secure, thanks to nearly 1,000 new officers posted at our borders. And the 3.2 million EU nationals now living and working among us can remain confident, with absolute certainty, of their right to remain in the UK.

Above all, our goal is to be transparent. Soon, we will launch a public information campaign so that citizens, communities and businesses are ready and reassured about what will happen in the event of “no deal”.

In my first few weeks in this role, I have travelled to ports and tarmacs, borders and bridges, all across the UK –from the seaside of Dover to the rolling green hills of County Armagh. I have heard from business owners and border officials, farmers and hauliers. They are ready to put an end to uncertainty. And they are ready to embrace the opportunities ahead.

Our departure from the EU will be a once in a lifetime chance to chart a new course for the United Kingdom. Preparing for that new course will be a herculean effort. But this country has made astounding efforts before. We can do it again.

Rt Hon Michael Gove
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster