FirstPort Temporarily Suspended from Trade Body Following Independent Adjudication
FirstPort, one of the UK’s largest residential property management companies, has had its membership with The Property Institute (TPI) temporarily suspended for three months following an independent adjudication process.
In a statement, TPI confirmed the suspension, citing a breach of membership rules:
“Following independent adjudication, FirstPort Property Services Limited (FirstPort) has been suspended from TPI Company membership due to a breach of membership rules.”
Background and Leaseholder Concerns
FirstPort, which manages over 400,000 leasehold homes, recently attended a meeting in Parliament with MPs who raised concerns on behalf of leaseholders. Residents from Crown Heights and Regent Court in Basingstoke voiced issues related to service charge increases, building maintenance, and communication with residents.
At the meeting, MP David Pinto-Duschinsky shared that he had received multiple complaints from constituents regarding FirstPort’s service charges and responsiveness.
The discussion also touched on wider concerns in the leasehold sector, with Housing Minister Mathew Pennycook reaffirming the Government’s commitment to strengthening regulation of managing agents. He stated:
“We are very much aware that some managing agents provide a very poor quality of service. Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of multi-occupancy buildings and freehold estates, and their importance will only grow as we transition towards a commonhold future.”
FirstPort has acknowledged the temporary suspension and clarified that it relates to a specific issue in its handover process to a new managing agent, which began in 2023.
In a statement, FirstPort said:
“One of our TPI memberships has been temporarily put on hold until the beginning of March whilst we review and improve an internal process. This does not relate to core business-wide practices but to a specific issue in our handover process to a new managing agent.
“We have responded positively to the issue raised and we will continue to make improvements to our ways of working. We remain committed to continuing our work with TPI to improve standards across the industry.”
As the industry continues to evolve, leasehold reform and the regulation of managing agents remain a key focus for stakeholders. The Government has indicated it is considering further regulatory measures based on recommendations from Lord Best’s 2019 report on property agent regulation.
FirstPort’s membership with TPI is expected to be reviewed in March 2025. In the meantime, the company has stated it will continue working on internal improvements and industry-wide best practices.