Most leaseholders don't know they can challenge unreasonable charges, demand transparent accounts, or force their freeholder to maintain the building. The law is on your side - but only if you know what it says.
This guide is for general information only - not legal advice. Always seek professional advice before acting.
Service charge feels too high. Demand looks wrong (no Section 21B Summary, wrong amount, missing breakdown). Lease extension cost. Asking for consent (sublet, pet, alteration). Defending against a lease-breach allegation.
Continue below ↓Leaseholder not paying their service charge. Refusing access for inspection or repair. Subletting without consent. Alterations without consent. Business use in breach of the user covenant. Attacking your demand. Or you own the freehold of a converted house and collect ground rent / service charge informally.
Freeholder-side packs →Wondering how the same site can work for both sides? Read why we serve both. Short version: most disputes are misalignment, not malice. The fix is both sides reading the same lease against the same statute.
Building Trust isn't always the right first call. Here's the honest decision:
LEASE is the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service. Best first call for general questions on rights, processes, and statutory procedures. Free, by phone or online.
When the answer turns on the wording of your lease — clause analysis, demand validity, consent, or a specific argument: try LEASE-iQ free or Talk to us from £50.
When the money at stake is over £10,000, the position is contested, or you are heading to court or Tribunal: a UK property solicitor. We can introduce — or LEASE keeps a register.
“I think I've been overcharged.”
Service charges that look too high, lack a breakdown, or include items the lease does not authorise. Run the free benchmark check, see if your charge is near the 1% mortgage threshold, and pull the line-item breakdown the freeholder owes you.
“A backdated bill arrived.”
Costs from years ago. Section 20B 18-month rule may apply.
Challenge it →“Water is coming through the ceiling.”
Liability depends on the lease and the source. Sort it before you spend.
Read the guide →Or another situation?
Or scroll down for a full overview of your legal rights
Most leaseholders don't know these rights exist. Your lease gives you legal protections - but only if you know how to use them. Here's what the law allows you to do.
You can challenge any charge that is unreasonable or where proper procedures weren't followed. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985Sections 18-30. Defines reasonableness of service charges, consultation requirements, and leaseholder rights to challenge. legislation.gov.uk protects you, but most leaseholders never exercise this right.
Your freeholder or managing agent must provide a summary of costs on request. You also have the right to inspect receipts and supporting documentsLandlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.22. Leaseholders may request a summary of costs. The landlord must then make inspection facilities available within one month and keep them open for two months. legislation.gov.uk after receiving the summary.
Your lease requires the freeholder to maintain the building. If they're not doing it, you can take action - from formal complaints to the First-tier TribunalFirst-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). Handles disputes about service charges, administration charges, lease variations, and the right to manage. Gov.uk. Disrepair affects your property value.
Qualifying leaseholders can take over management (Right to ManageCommonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, Part 2. No fault required. Qualifying tenants of at least two-thirds of the flats can claim RTM. legislation.gov.uk) or collectively buy the freehold (enfranchisementLeasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993. At least 50% of qualifying tenants must participate. legislation.gov.uk). Both give you direct control over how your building is run.
Work through these yourself. Or upload your lease and ask LEASE-iQ.
Your lease is the legal contract that defines your rights and obligations. Most are 30 to 60 pages of dense legal language. Focus on: service charge provisions, maintenance obligations, and any restrictions on use.
Check who owns the freehold (Land Registry) and who manages the building. These may be different entities. Your rights and remedies differ depending on whether you're dealing with a freeholder, managing agent, or RTM/SoF company.
Your lease defines what can be charged, how charges are calculated, and what consultation processes are required. Section 20 noticesLandlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.20. Consultation required for qualifying works exceeding £250 per leaseholder or qualifying long-term agreements exceeding £100 per leaseholder per year. legislation.gov.uk are mandatory for works over £250 per leaseholder or contracts over £100 per year.
Is your building registered with Companies House? Are fire risk assessments current? Is there adequate buildings insurance? Non-compliance doesn't just put you at risk - it can affect your property's value and saleability.
If things aren't right, you can: write a formal complaint, apply to the First-tier Tribunal, exercise your Right to Manage, or pursue collective enfranchisement. Each has different requirements, timelines, and costs.
⚠️ Important: Your rights depend on the specific terms of your lease. Generic advice may not apply to your situation. Before taking formal action, check what your lease actually says - LEASE-iQ can help you find the relevant clauses in seconds.
Upload your lease. Ask:
Most leaseholders don't challenge management decisions. Those who do often win.
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024Royal Assent: 24 May 2024. Most provisions awaiting secondary legislation before commencement. legislation.gov.uk strengthens leaseholder rights, including new transparency requirements and limits on ground rent for new leases. Key provisions are being implemented in phases.
If you're a director of an RTM, SoF, or management company, understanding leaseholder rights isn't optional - it's a compliance requirement. Getting it wrong means tribunal applications, costs orders, and personal liability risk.
Leaseholders have a legal right to request account summaries and inspect supporting documents. You must respond within the statutory timeframe or face potential tribunal action.
Before committing to qualifying works or long-term agreements, you must consult leaseholders. Failure to consult properly means you can only recover £250 per leaseholder for the works.
Your lease obliges you to maintain common parts and the structure. Failing to do so isn't just poor practice - leaseholders can apply to the tribunal to compel you to carry out works.
Service charge accounts must be properly maintained and made available. BLOCK-iQ helps you manage compliance obligations and maintain an auditable trail of all financial decisions.
BLOCK-iQ helps directors manage compliance obligations, track leaseholder requests, and maintain transparent records that protect everyone in the building.
See how BLOCK-iQ works →Upload your lease (any age, any format). Ask a question in plain English. Get a clause-cited answer in seconds - not hours of reading.
See how it works →Three free tools that give you answers in minutes. No signup required for calculators. Email gate on health check and estimator so we can send you the results.
Is your service charge fair? Compare against national and regional averages. Check the mortgage threshold. Upload your demand or just type the total.
No email neededIs your service charge making your flat unmortgageable? Check if you're near the 1% lender threshold. Takes 60 seconds.
No email neededRough estimate of what your lease extension might cost. Years remaining, property value, ground rent. See the 80-year cliff edge in numbers.
Email for resultsThese are the questions we hear most often. Each answer cites the relevant legislation.
Yes. Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (sections 18-30), you can challenge any service charge that is unreasonable or where proper procedures were not followed. You can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) without a solicitor. Analysis of 233 tribunal judgements in 2024 found that 72% of leaseholders who challenged were found to have been overcharged. The key question is usually not "can I challenge?" but "does my lease permit the charge in the first place?" Upload your lease to LEASE-iQ to find out what can and cannot be charged.
Some mortgage lenders will decline to lend on flats where the annual service charge exceeds 1% of the property value. The Hamptons 2025 Service Charge Index found that 37% of flats in England and Wales now exceed this level. Flats at or below 1% were 50% more likely to find a buyer. This matters even if you are not selling right now, because it affects your flat's value today. Check your position with our free health check.
The Right to Manage (RTM) allows qualifying leaseholders to take over management of their building without proving fault by the freeholder. It is established under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, Part 2. You need qualifying leaseholders in at least half the flats to participate. There is no cost to the freeholder. Once RTM is established, you can appoint your own managing agent or self-manage. It applies regardless of whether the freeholder is private, corporate, or a local authority.
Yes. Collective enfranchisement under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 allows leaseholders to purchase the freehold. You need at least two-thirds of flats to be held by qualifying tenants, and at least 50% of qualifying tenants must participate. This applies to private freeholders, corporate freeholders, and local authorities. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 is expected to simplify this process when its provisions are commenced. Collective enfranchisement removes the freeholder entirely and gives you full control.
It depends on your remaining lease term, property value, and ground rent. Under current law, below 80 years remaining, marriage valueMarriage value is the increase in the property's value resulting from the lease extension. Currently payable at 50% when the lease falls below 80 years. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 abolishes marriage value, but this provision is not yet in force. legislation.gov.uk applies and costs rise steeply. A rough estimate for a flat worth £350,000 with 75 years remaining might be £20,000 to £50,000. Above 80 years, the premium drops significantly. Note: the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024Royal Assent 24 May 2024. Section 8 abolishes marriage value. High Court upheld the abolition in October 2025. Awaiting commencement order, expected 2026. legislation.gov.uk abolishes marriage value entirely, but this provision is not yet in force. When commenced, the 80-year cliff edge will disappear. Try our free lease extension estimator for a rough guide based on your numbers.
Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires your landlord to consult leaseholders before carrying out qualifying works costing more than £250 per leaseholder, or entering qualifying long-term agreements costing more than £100 per leaseholder per year. The consultation has two stages: a notice of intention (describing the works and inviting observations) and a notice of proposal (listing at least two estimates). If the landlord fails to consult properly, they can only recover £250 per leaseholder for the works. This is one of your most powerful protections.
It depends on your lease. Many leases allow subletting with the freeholder's consent, which cannot be unreasonably withheld. Some leases prohibit subletting entirely. If you do sublet, an AST (Assured Shorthold Tenancy) does not bind your tenant to the lease covenants. Liability flows up to you as leaseholder, but enforcement does not flow down to your tenant. You remain responsible for any breach by your tenant. Upload your lease to LEASE-iQ to check your specific subletting terms.
Under section 22 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985Section 22 LTA 1985. Leaseholder's right to request a written summary of service charge costs. Landlord must provide within one month and make documents available for inspection. legislation.gov.uk, you can request a written summary of service charge costs. The landlord must provide this within one month. You then have six months to inspect the supporting documents: receipts, invoices, contracts, and anything else relating to the charges. Failure to comply without reasonable excuse is a summary offence under section 25Section 25 LTA 1985. A person who fails without reasonable excuse to perform a duty imposed by s.21, s.22 or s.23 commits a summary offence, punishable by a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale (£2,500). legislation.gov.uk, punishable by a fine of up to £2,500. You do not need a solicitor to make this request. A simple letter citing section 22 is sufficient.