Many housing providers are looking at alternative ways of dealing with housing maintenance. These include setting up in-house maintenance teams, cost sharing groups, wholly-owned subsidiaries and joint ventures with contractors. VAT savings of 20% on labour costs are a powerful driver for this. 

One way to "fast-track" setting up your own in-house maintenance team is to "buy your contractor".  However, this is not always as simple as it sounds. Clear guidance is needed to get the due diligence, tax structure, procurement issues, and governance arrangements right. Come and hear about the legal and practical issues from a housing provider that has recently been through a successful acquisition of its contractor. Andrew Millross, a Partner in Anthony Collins Solicitors, who advised the housing provider, will explain the legal issues and a housing provider representative will talk about the process from their perspective.