Owning or managing property (whether commercial, residential, or mixed-use) comes with a set of legal and moral obligations that can easily be overlooked, particularly when buildings are vacant, undergoing change of use, or part of a larger portfolio.
Clear Risk Management’s Property Services team helps you stay on top of those obligations, protecting your assets and managing your exposure.
We work with a wide range of clients including residential block management companies, housing associations, local authorities, commercial property managing agents, and private landlords. Whether you manage a single building or a large multi-site portfolio, we can tailor our service to fit your requirements and reporting needs.
Property insurers and lenders may place considerable importance on well-managed compliance across a property portfolio. Current asbestos registers, compliant vacant property inspections and accurate building records all can help demonstrate effective risk management.
Your CRM Property Services team maintains the compliance records your CIM broker needs to present your portfolio confidently to insurers at renewal. Current asbestos surveys, regular reinspection records and consistent vacant property inspections demonstrate proactive management and can help support stronger underwriting decisions.
If a property-related claim arises, your CRM consultants can assist with technical investigations, provide documentary evidence and can attend loss assessor meetings. The people who already know your portfolio are there to support you throughout the claims process.
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 places a legal duty on anyone responsible for the maintenance and repair of non-domestic premises, and the common areas of rented domestic premises, to manage the risk from asbestos. That duty doesn't begin when you commission a survey. It begins the moment you take on responsibility for the building, and it includes a duty to assume that asbestos is present unless you can demonstrate otherwise. For anyone managing commercial property or residential common areas, an asbestos management survey isn't optional. It's a legal obligation, and the absence of one is not a defence.
Our surveys are carried out in accordance with HSG264 (Asbestos: The Survey Guide) by trained surveyors, with samples analysed by a UKAS accredited laboratory. The outcome is a clear, structured asbestos register that records every material inspected, confirms whether each is asbestos-containing or has been presumed to contain asbestos, assesses the condition of each ACM, and provides practical recommendations for management.
We operate on a fixed-price basis, meaning the quote we give you is the price you pay regardless of how many samples are needed. No surprises, no variable cost based on sample numbers that you have no way of predicting before the survey begins.
An asbestos register is not a one-time exercise. Once ACMs have been identified in a building, they need to be monitored periodically to check that their condition hasn't changed through accidental damage, wear and tear, or the activities of contractors working nearby. A register that was accurate three years ago but hasn't been reviewed since isn't managing the risk. It's documenting a position that may no longer be true.
We carry out asbestos re-inspections to update your existing register, reassess the condition of all previously identified ACMs, and reflect any removal, repair, or encapsulation work that has taken place since the original survey. If works have been carried out in areas that weren't covered by the original survey, we can extend the scope accordingly. The result is a register you can rely on, not one you hope is still accurate.
An unoccupied building doesn't stop accumulating risk just because there's nobody in it. In many respects, the risks are greater. Security breaches, water ingress, electrical deterioration, fire hazards, and the development of Legionella in stagnant water systems can all develop quickly in a vacant building, and without regular inspection they go undetected until the damage is done or a claim is made.
Most commercial insurance policies require landlords and property managers to carry out regular inspections of vacant premises as a condition of cover. Fail to comply with those requirements and you may find your insurer has grounds to reduce or refuse a claim at exactly the moment you need them most. Our vacant property inspection service is designed to meet those insurance requirements and provide you with a reliable, documented inspection record that demonstrates your obligations have been fulfilled.
Each inspection covers general security across all access points, flushing of all water outlets to prevent Legionella formation, the condition of the general building fabric, evidence of graffiti or vandalism, water leaks and damp, fire and electrical hazards, and any other issues that could affect the condition, value, or lettability of the property.
Inspection frequency is set to meet your specific insurance requirements, and our reports are consistent, clearly written, and produced promptly after each visit. For clients managing multiple vacant properties, we can coordinate inspection schedules across the portfolio and provide consolidated reporting, giving you a single, reliable view of the condition and compliance status of every building in your care.
For property management companies, the health and safety of the common parts and external areas of managed buildings is a responsibility that falls squarely on the managing agent, not the individual tenants. Lifts, staircases, car parks, external lighting, communal entrances, and shared plant rooms all need to be properly managed and regularly inspected. The inspection and testing records that demonstrate that management sits with the managing agent too. And when those records are missing, out of date, or don't reflect the actual condition of the building, the liability exposure can be significant.
Our Property Compliance Inspection service provides a structured H&S audit of the common parts and external areas of managed buildings, carried out by our CMIOSH-qualified H&S consultants. We check for general hazards (trip and slip risks, inadequate lighting, defective handrails, damaged flooring, and poorly maintained communal equipment) and we review the full suite of statutory inspection and testing records that a responsible managing agent should hold. That includes fire alarm and emergency lighting test records, lift inspection certificates (LOLER), water hygiene records and Legionella risk assessments, electrical installation condition reports (EICRs), and any other documentation relevant to the specific building.
You'll receive a written report for each building with findings clearly prioritised by risk level and practical recommendations for remediation. For clients managing larger portfolios, we can operate a rolling inspection programme with consolidated portfolio-level reporting, giving you and your building owners a clear, auditable record of compliance management that demonstrates you are discharging your duty of care properly, consistently, and in a way that would stand up to scrutiny.
At Clear Risk Management, we believe that proper risk management means getting the detail right, every time. Here's what that looks like in practice.
Our consultants are professionally qualified specialists in their fields, with accreditations including CMIOSH, CIPD, MCERTS, BAFE SP205 and NAFDI. Whatever the discipline, you'll receive practical advice from experienced professionals with the credentials to back it up.
No two businesses face the same risks. We take the time to understand your organisation and provide practical, proportionate advice that reflects your circumstances, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Every service is delivered by our own qualified consultants. We never subcontract your work or pass you between providers, giving you consistent advice, clear accountability and a team that knows your business from day one.
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