ELM Celebrating 50 years in business

The group’s story first began in 1971 when the Retirement Lease Housing Association (RLHA) was founded. By 1973, the company completed the UK’s very first leasehold retirement estate at Vicarage Close, Ringmer – which ELM still manages today. 1976 saw another first – the creation of the UK’s first shared ownership scheme.

The 1980s witnessed the company’s growth with RLHA building a number of strategic partnerships with developers and housing associations. By 1987, RLHA owned 265 properties and managed another 211 on behalf of its partners.

When the Association of Retirement Housing Managers was formed at the start of the 1990s, RLHA was a founding member and the Group grew from strength to strength, with 700 properties and an in-house team of 30 members of staff. When Gables Court, the very first retirement estate in the country to exercise Right to Manage, chose its own managing agents, they turned to RLHA.

In 2007, RLHA created a wholly-owned subsidiary called ‘Ethical Leasehold Management’ – or ELM, to manage non-retirement estates. Just a year later, the partnership with Beechcroft was formed and ELM was appointed to manage a number of Beechcroft development.

In 2011, Lorraine Collis took over as the new CEO of the organisation, introducing her progressive business plan ‘The ELM Way’ in 2015. This improved the working environment and both customer and employee satisfaction and set the bar for the level of service, something to live up to.

In 2016, ‘The ELM Way’ training programme was shortlisted as a finalist by the CIPD in their people management awards.

By 2018, the fact that the ELM Group was managing 2,500 properties on 90 estates – 40 owned by RLHA - was evidence of the Group’s incredible achievements.

ELM’s Golden Jubilee year brought even more success. Moving from Aldershot to Frimley, the Group was appointed to manage a further 7 estates and was awarded Silver in The Property Management Company of the Year category of the Negotiator Awards.

In 2020, like so many companies, ELM Group faced challenges but adapted the business, often taking actions that preceded those of the Government.

On one of the Group’s estates in Aldershot, the third group of second-generation residents have moved into the apartments. Relatives of past residents are following in the footsteps of parents and other family members, choosing to live at the estate. The team at ELM is proud of this positive feedback, receiving recommendations from friends and family speaks volumes about the sense of community and the management itself.

Looking ahead, ELM’s pioneering spirit is as alive today as it was in 1971 and the Group will continue to provide a high-quality service on the developments it manages.