Hugely successful UKAA Annual Build to Rent Conference sees first consultation on BTR Code of Practice

• 450 delegates discussed Build to Rent and the transformative value of investing in homes and communities
• New Build to Rent Code of Practice introduced for consultation at the event
• Awards Celebration recognised lifetime achievers and rising stars in the sector

The UKAA (the UK Apartment Association) Annual Build to Rent Conference and Awards 2023 has been hailed as a resounding success by Build to Rent (BTR) sector leaders. Over 450 delegates came together in central London for the event on 2^nd November 2023, focusing on the business of BTR and the transformative value of investing in homes and communities.

Running throughout the conference was the theme of “Not just words . . . Action”, with every session identifying three action points focused on the transformative value of investing in homes and communities, to feed into UKAA’s action plan for the year ahead.

Four keynote speeches, 16 interactive sessions and 29 exhibitors all contributed to the overall theme of the event. The excellent line-up of speakers included Tim Galloway, Director of the newly formed Building Safety Regulator, speaking about building safety, with a keynote speech from Adam Challis, Head of UK Research & Strategy at JLL. Along with other sector leaders speaking at the event, they delivered a packed agenda that examined the role of BTR as the new anchor tenant in regeneration, details of UKAA’s research into whole life costing, consideration of the impact of flexible renting and a report on the skills needed by the UK’s growing Build to Rent workforce.

Other sessions focused on a range of related issues. These included social value, net operating income and managing risk throughout the product lifecycle. Single Family Rental and the future relationship between investors, developers and contractors were also on the table, along with an interesting international perspective, looking at the BTR sector in the UK and Australia.

The UKAA Annual Build to Rent Conference and Awards attracted a wide range of sponsors with Build-Zone Insurance as Headline sponsor together with CBRE as Session sponsor, BoConcept as Lanyard sponsor, Irwin Mitchell, Fleet Milne and EE as Award sponsors, Harris Associates as Media Sponsor and BTR News as Media Partners.

Delegates also learned of the key principles for a Build to Rent Code of Practice with a call for contributions. The Code, being developed by the UKAA, focuses on professional standards, quality, customer service and the fair treatment that every BTR customer should expect as standard. Introduced at the Conference for consultation, with a finalised version due for delivery in January 2024, the Code defines the culture and conduct of the Build to Rent sector.  As the industry continues to mature in the UK, the Code will be a key part of BTR’s positioning with central government, local government, and customers, including in relation to local planning decisions.

The 2023 Annual Build to Rent Conference also included the much-anticipated UKAA Awards Celebration, which honoured major contributors to the evolution of the BTR sector. Winners included Roger Southam of Roger Southam Associates for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Moda Managing Director Richard Smith for the Rising Star Award and Tracey Hartley, Chief Operating Officer, Europe at Cortland, for the BTR Industry Shaper Award. Three teams were also recognised for their work around whole life costing: Cortland Consult for the Development Phase Whole Life Costing Award, David Phillips for the Supply Chain Whole Life Costing Award and Iterum Trading for the Operational Phase Whole Life Costing Award with David Phillips presented with the Overall Whole Life Costing Award.

“We are proud to have hosted another superb annual conference, the only BTR conference delivered by the sector, for the sector with all profits being reinvested into the UKAA. The energy throughout the day was fantastic, with delegates embracing the action-focused agenda and sharing their expertise on the broad range of inter-related topics. Congratulations to all those who won awards for their outstanding contributions and inspirational innovations in the BTR sector. And my thanks to all those who contributed to the BTR Code of Practice. We look forward to launching the final version in early 2024.” – Brendan Geraghty, CEO, UKAA 

For more information, please visit https://www.ukaa.org.uk/