How to Join

Membership benefits

Members ultimately benefit from a Government approved Code of Practice that clearly identifies rights, responsibilities and improves the practice and reputation of our sector.

Only members have the right to:

• Use our logo on their communications material
• Display their membership certificate in their schemes
• Name their organisations as an ARHM member in promotional material.

Other member benefits include:

• Free and regular regional training events, including case law changes
• Discounted additional bespoke training
• Monthly news e-zine, summarising new legislation and best practice
• Forum to share ideas, ask questions and debate policy and practice
• Discounted audit services, ensuring 100% compliance with the code and identifying additional areas of best practice
• Free promotion of job vacancies on our website and via our social media channels
• New networks and contacts
• Access to a 10% discount on the first order for new customers with housing marketing and communication specialists, Creative Bridge.

Eligibility

Full membership is open to organisations which manage leasehold retirement and sheltered housing. This includes private companies and registered social landlords and other organisations, subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors.

Affiliate membership is open to any other organisation or individual with an interest in, but without management duties, subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors. We particularly welcome applications from house builders, solicitors, insurers and contractors who specialise in our sector.

1. ARHM Code of Practice

Compliance with the Code* is the most important requirement of membership. Both existing and prospective members will be expected to commit themselves to compliance with the Code in full.

*Members may seek approval from the ARHM Board of Directors for limited non-compliance with the Code if:

• On any estate or estates already in management, the terms of the lease make full compliance with the Code impossible. In this case estates should be identified separately and the clauses which cannot be fully complied with should be indicated
• Compliance with all the requirements of the Code is not possible immediately but the member organisation intends to put in place the necessary arrangements for full compliance as soon as possible. In this case the relevant clauses should be identified and the time scale for full compliance should be stated
• Co-operate in Code compliance checks which the Association has initiated. This will involve agreement to permit members of the Association’s Board of Directors or its appointees to visit the member’s premises and, on request, to make available relevant documents for inspection.

The following documents are to be submitted with all applications in accordance with the ARHM’s Code of Practice:

• A leaseholders handbook or purchasers information pack (see Appendix One)
• A complaints procedure (Chapter 13)
• A procedure manual for your warden or house manager
• A copy of a set of accounts and budget for one of your leasehold retirement schemes (chapters one and two)
• An example of a S.20 consultation notice sent to a group of leaseholders in the last 12 months.

Please note: the ARHM Code compliance checks are carried out by an independent consultant. All new members are audited in this way within 6 months of joining. The charge levied by the consultant for the audit is passed onto the member organisation.

2. Professional indemnity insurance

Members must show proof of having professional indemnity insurance cover

3. Residents’ access to independent dispute resolution service

For full membership, members and applicants for full must confirm, on a development by development basis, that residents have been or will be offered the opportunity to join a recognised Dispute Resolution Service.

The fee year runs from July to June. New members joining half way through a fee year will be charged pro-rata. Fees for the current year are as follows:

• Full Membership
  A basic fee of £825 + 62p per unit managed (+ VAT)
• Affiliate Membership
  A flat rate fee of £900 + VAT