Service charge guides

Plain-English explanations of leaseholders' rights in England and Wales, checked against the legislation on 24 October 2026.

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• Section 21 request: how to get a summary of service charge costs
  How to use section 21 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 to demand a written summary of service charge costs, the deadlines, and a template letter.
• Section 22 request: inspecting service charge invoices and receipts
  Your right under section 22 to inspect and copy the invoices, receipts and accounts behind your service charge, the 6-month window and the landlord's deadlines.
• The 18-month rule (section 20B): late service charge bills explained
  Section 20B stops landlords recovering costs incurred more than 18 months before the demand, unless you were warned in writing. How it works and how to use it.
• Section 20 consultation for major works: the £250 rule
  When landlords must consult leaseholders before major works, the £250 threshold, what happens if they don't, and dispensation.
• Qualifying long-term agreements: the £100 a year consultation rule
  Contracts over 12 months (cleaning, lifts, management) need consultation if any leaseholder pays more than £100 a year. How to check.
• Section 20ZA dispensation: when landlords skip consultation
  Landlords can ask the tribunal to dispense with section 20 consultation. How Daejan v Benson works and how leaseholders can respond.
• Are my service charges reasonable? Section 19 explained
  Section 19 limits service charges to costs reasonably incurred and works of a reasonable standard. What that means and what evidence helps.
• Service charge dispute letter: what to include (UK)
  How to write a formal service charge dispute letter to your landlord or managing agent in England and Wales, with a checklist of what to include.
• How to challenge a big service charge increase
  Your service charge has doubled. A step-by-step plan for leaseholders in England and Wales to understand and challenge the increase.
• Summary of rights and obligations: can I withhold my service charge?
  Section 21B requires every service charge demand to include a summary of tenants' rights. If it's missing you may withhold payment.
• Landlord's name and address on demands (sections 47 and 48)
  If a service charge demand lacks the landlord's name and address, or no address for service has been given, the charge may not yet be due.
• Administration charges: late fees, consent fees and Schedule 11
  How to challenge leasehold administration charges such as late payment fees, consent fees and information pack fees under Schedule 11.
• Applying to the First-tier Tribunal about service charges (Form LEASE1)
  How leaseholders in England apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to challenge service charges: Form LEASE1, fees and what to expect.
• Service charge tribunal fees 2026 (England and Wales)
  Current fees for service charge applications at the First-tier Tribunal (England) and the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal (Wales), checked October 2026.
• Service charge disputes in Wales: the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal
  How Welsh leaseholders challenge service charges at the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal (Residential Property Tribunal Wales), Form LVT6, fees and differences from England.
• Section 20C: stop the landlord adding legal costs to your service charge
  A section 20C order prevents a landlord recovering its tribunal or court costs through the service charge. How and when to apply.
• Paying a service charge 'under protest': does it protect me?
  Should you pay a disputed service charge? How paying under protest works, why paying the undisputed part matters, and the risks of withholding.
• Can I withhold my service charge? Risks and safe options
  When leaseholders can lawfully withhold service charges, the risks of forfeiture and arrears fees, and safer ways to dispute.
• Reserve funds and sinking funds: what leaseholders can ask
  How service charge reserve (sinking) funds work, whether contributions are reasonable, and how to check how the money is held.
• Buildings insurance in your service charge: commissions and challenges
  Why leasehold buildings insurance costs rise, how to ask about commissions, and how to challenge an unreasonable premium.
• Are your managing agent's fees reasonable?
  How to judge and challenge managing agent fees in a leasehold service charge, including per-unit fees, extras and redress schemes.
• Scott Schedule for service charge disputes: how to fill it in
  What a Scott Schedule is, how tribunals use it in service charge cases, and a simple column layout you can copy.
• Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024: what changes for service charges, and when
  Status as of October 2026 of the 2024 Act's service charge reforms: demand forms, annual reports, information rights and legal costs.
• Shared ownership service charges: can you challenge them?
  Shared owners usually pay 100% of the service charge. Which leaseholder rights apply and how to challenge charges.
• Managing agent not responding? What to do next
  A step-by-step plan when your landlord or managing agent ignores your service charge questions, requests or disputes.
• How to read your service charge accounts
  A practical guide to year-end service charge accounts, budgets and balancing charges, and the questions to ask.
• Who owns the freehold of my flat? How to find your landlord's name and address
  How leaseholders in England and Wales can find out who their landlord or freeholder is: section 1 and 3 requests, company directors, and a £7 Land Registry search.
• Is my share of the service charge fair? Apportionment and percentages explained
  How service charges are split between flats, when you can challenge your percentage, and what to do if the shares don't add up to 100%.
• Service charge arrears: can my landlord forfeit my lease or take me to court?
  What happens if you don't pay a service charge in England or Wales: county court claims, the £350 and three-year forfeiture rules, section 81 and protecting yourself.
• How far back can I challenge service charges? Time limits explained
  Can leaseholders challenge service charges from previous years, and how long do landlords have to recover arrears? Section 27A, the Limitation Act and section 20B.
• Recognised tenants' association: how leaseholders can form one and what it can do
  How leaseholders in England and Wales set up a recognised tenants' association (RTA) under section 29, the 50% (England) and 60% (Wales) thresholds, and its legal rights.
• Right to Manage: how leaseholders can take over management of their building
  How the Right to Manage works for leaseholders in England and Wales: who qualifies, the 50% rules, the claim process and the 2024 Act's changes on costs.
• Selling a leasehold flat with a service charge dispute: what to know
  Selling a flat while disputing service charges: the management pack (LPE1), what must be disclosed, retentions on completion and what happens to the dispute.
• Do I have to pay for cladding or fire safety works? Building Safety Act protections
  Which leaseholders in England are protected from cladding and fire safety remediation costs under the Building Safety Act 2022, the caps, and the position in Wales.
• Can my landlord charge for improvements through the service charge?
  Repairs vs improvements in leasehold service charges: when a landlord can recover the cost of upgrades, what the lease must say, and how to challenge.
• Ground rent vs service charge: what's the difference and what can I challenge?
  The difference between ground rent and service charges for leaseholders in England and Wales, section 166 notices, the Ground Rent Act 2022 and the proposed £250 cap.