Freehold Block Management – Residential service charges

Disputes about residential service charges are one of the biggest ‘problem areas’ for freeholders, accounting for over half of the cases brought before the Residential Property Tribunal in 2022. Most disputes arise out of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (the ‘Act’), which imposes strict requirements and limitations on freeholders in relation to demanding service charges, as well as consultation obligations for long-term agreements and large projects.