Celebrating 35 years of property management

By Richard Daver and Catherine Riva, Co-CEOs

Celebrating 35 Years of Rendall & Rittner: A Conversation with Catherine and Richard

 

This year marks a major milestone for Rendall & Rittner. How does it feel to be celebrating 35 years in business?

Catherine: It’s a moment of real pride for all of us. Reflecting on our journey since 1990, it’s amazing to see how far we’ve come—from our two founders working from home to becoming one of the UK’s leading managing agents.

Richard: Absolutely. It’s also a great time to look ahead. While we’ve grown significantly, we’ve always stayed true to the original vision: providing professional, transparent property management rooted in genuine customer service.

Take us back to the early days—how did the company start?

Richard: The business was founded by Duncan Rendall and Matt Rittner in 1990. They were frustrated with how their own development was being managed and decided they could do better. That decision laid the foundation for everything we’ve built since.

Catherine: Just five years in, we opened our first office in Wapping, East London. From those modest beginnings, we've grown to manage over 90,000 homes with a team of more than 600 office-based staff and 1,500 on-site colleagues.

The company joined the Odevo group in 2021. How has that impacted things?

Catherine: Becoming part of the Odevo group has been a key milestone. The investment has strengthened our foundations, giving us access to greater innovation, technology, knowledge sharing and global expertise, all of which support our long-term growth.

Richard: It’s enabled us to remain independent in spirit while benefiting from a wider network. This means we can continue delivering for clients and residents while staying at the forefront of change in the sector.

The industry has gone through significant changes. What’s been the biggest shift recently?

Richard: Without question, the introduction of the Building Safety Act. It has completely reshaped the sector—bringing in new requirements that are both complex and still evolving.

Catherine: To meet those challenges, we’ve invested heavily in our in-house health and safety team. We now have more than 30 specialists covering building safety, fire safety, and technical expertise—one of the largest teams in the industry.

How is Rendall & Rittner preparing for the shift from leasehold to commonhold for new properties?

Catherine: It’s a major change for the property sector, but one we’re ready for. With around 70% of our instructions already from leaseholder-controlled entities such as Resident Management and Right to Manage Companies we’re confident we’ll easily adapt as the landscape evolves to give residents and landlords have greater control.

Richard: We're also actively engaged with Government and The Property Institute to help shape these reforms and make sure the transition is as smooth as possible for all stakeholders.

What are your thoughts on the proposed regulation of property managers and mandatory qualifications?

Richard: We fully support it. In the absence of mandatory formal regulation, we have already secured voluntary regulation and multiple accreditations, and believe that raising standards and ensuring greater professionalism across the sector is long overdue. It’s encouraging to see Government taking steps in the right direction.

Catherine: And we’re not just waiting for changes—we’re helping to shape them. We want to see regulation that works for both professionals and residents, and we’re already investing in the training and development of our people.

Let’s talk about people—how is Rendall & Rittner developing future talent?

Catherine: Our new Property Management Academy is a cornerstone of that effort. It’s all about structured career development and building the next generation of leaders in the industry. We will shortly be expanding the scope of our Academies to benefit other key roles.

Richard: And we’ve recently introduced our new Customer Experience Team. They provide first-point resolution for resident queries—helping to improve response times and ensure quicker, more consistent communication across the board.

What role does technology play in your approach to service delivery?

Richard: It’s central. Our MyPlace online portal has transformed how residents interact with us—making it easier for them to access information, log issues, and stay informed. Combined with our Customer Engagement system we can now provide clients with enhanced performance management data.

Catherine: Technology enables us to scale our service without compromising quality. It’s all part of our drive to modernise property management and make it more responsive to residents’ needs.

Finally, what’s next for Rendall & Rittner?

Catherine: Our focus will remain on enhancing customer service, building safety, embracing industry reform, and investing in our people. That’s how we continue to deliver value and quality for our clients and residents.

Richard: With 35 years behind us, we’re more committed than ever to shaping a property management sector that residents can trust. The journey so far has been incredible, and we’re excited for what’s to come.