Leasehold Management in England:Your Rights & the 2024 Reforms
England has 4.9 million leasehold homes. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 changed everything: marriage value abolished, 990-year extensions, peppercorn ground rent. Know your rights.
Whether you're facing a £6,000 roof bill with no Section 20 consultation, fighting unreasonable service charges, or planning a lease extension before the 80-year cliff — this is your complete guide to leasehold law in England.
The England Leasehold System Explained
England and Wales operate a unique dual ownership system that confuses buyers, traps leaseholders, and generates vast wealth for freeholders. Here is what you actually need to know.
Freehold vs leasehold — the English peculiarity
England and Wales have a unique dual ownership system almost unknown in the rest of the world. When you buy a leasehold flat, you own the right to occupy it for a fixed term — historically 99–125 years, now 990 after extension — but the freeholder owns the land and building structure.
You pay ground rent (now being phased to peppercorn) and service charges to the freeholder or their management company. Scotland abolished feudal tenure in 2004 — England is finally catching up with the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, though full implementation will take years.
The practical result: millions of flat owners have found themselves trapped in properties they cannot sell, unable to afford lease extensions, and at the mercy of unregulated managing agents charging whatever they like for basic services.
Ground rent: from feudal relic to zero
Ground rent is the annual payment leaseholders make to freeholders for occupying the land, entirely separate from service charges. The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 set ground rent to zero (peppercorn) for all new residential leases granted from 30 June 2022.
For existing leases, ground rent continues until you extend — at which point the LRA 2024 gives you the right to a 990-year extension at peppercorn rent. Freeholders who charged £250+ per year in London (or £100+ outside London) faced AST reclassification under the Housing Act 1988, which the 2022 Act resolved by prohibiting new ground rent entirely.
Doubling ground rent clauses in older leases — where rent doubled every 10 or 25 years — made some properties unmortgageable and unsellable. If your lease contains such a clause, take legal advice immediately.
Service charges: what you pay and what the law says
Service charges cover building insurance, communal area maintenance, lift servicing, gardening, and contributions to the reserve fund. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (LTA 1985) ss.18–30 governs service charges: they must be reasonable (s.19), leaseholders can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to challenge unreasonable charges, and the landlord must provide a written summary of costs (s.21).
The LTA 1985 s.20 requires consultation with leaseholders before major works costing over £250 per leaseholder — failure to consult means costs are capped at £250 per leaseholder per contract. This is one of the most powerful protections available to leaseholders.
Average service charges in England run from £1,500 to £5,000 per year for a standard flat, rising to £10,000+ in prime London buildings with concierge, gym, and 24-hour security.
The Section 20 consultation process in detail
When a freeholder or management company wants to carry out qualifying works costing more than £250 per leaseholder (or enter a qualifying long-term agreement costing £100+ per year), Section 20 of LTA 1985 requires a formal 3-stage consultation.
Stage 1: Notice of Intention (30 days for observations). Stage 2: Notification of Estimates (30 days to nominate contractors, then 30 days for observations). Stage 3 (for long-term agreements only): Notice of Proposals (30 days for observations). Failure to follow this procedure means the landlord can only recover £250 per leaseholder from the works, regardless of actual cost.
This is enforced strictly by the First-tier Tribunal. If you receive a demand for works without prior Section 20 notices, do not pay the full amount — write to your landlord and apply to the FTT for a determination that the charges are limited to £250 per leaseholder.
Forfeiture: the nuclear weapon freeholders (illegally) use
Forfeiture is a feudal remedy allowing a freeholder to terminate a lease for breach of covenant — including unpaid service charges. While technically still available in law, s.81 of the Housing Act 1996 prevents forfeiture for unpaid service charges unless the amount is agreed or determined by the FTT.
Forfeiture for non-payment of small sums became a national scandal — leaseholders losing £300,000 flats over £200 of unpaid charges. The LRA 2024 further restricts forfeiture. If you receive a Section 146 notice threatening forfeiture, seek legal advice immediately.
You have the right to apply to the FTT to challenge the service charge first, and forfeiture cannot proceed until the amount is formally determined. The court also has wide discretion to grant relief from forfeiture even after a breach is established.
Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 — What Changed
The most significant reform of English leasehold law in 30 years. Here is what the LRA 2024 actually does — and what it does not yet do.
Marriage value abolished: the biggest change in 30 years
The most significant change in the LRA 2024 is the abolition of marriage value for lease extensions where the unexpired term is 80 years or less. Previously, leaseholders with short leases paid a premium that included “marriage value” — the uplift in property value from combining freehold and leasehold interests. This cost could run to tens of thousands of pounds.
From the LRA 2024 commencement (expected 2025–2026), marriage value is eliminated, making lease extensions significantly cheaper for those with short leases. A flat with 65 years remaining might see the extension premium fall by £20,000–50,000 in London.
The abolition of marriage value was fiercely resisted by freeholder lobby groups who challenged it in the courts, arguing it constituted unlawful deprivation of property. The government proceeded regardless, relying on the ECHR proportionality test given the public interest in reform.
990-year lease extensions: never worry about a short lease again
The LRA 2024 increases the statutory lease extension term from 90 years (for flats) and 50 years (for houses) to 990 years in both cases. Combined with the peppercorn ground rent after extension, this effectively converts a leasehold into something functionally similar to freehold ownership.
Leaseholders will no longer need to extend again in their lifetime or their children's lifetime. The 2-year ownership requirement before you can extend remains — you must have owned the lease for at least 2 years — though there are proposals to reduce this to zero.
For existing leaseholders who already extended under the old regime (to 90 years + original term), the LRA 2024 allows a further extension to 990 years, though the premium calculation will apply. Check your existing lease extension deed for any restriction on further extensions.
Right to Manage reforms: easier collective action
The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 (CLRA 2002) introduced Right to Manage (RTM) allowing leaseholders to take over management of their building without buying the freehold, and without needing to prove fault. The LRA 2024 reforms RTM significantly.
The reforms remove the 25% non-residential limit (previously buildings with more than 25% commercial space were excluded from RTM), allow RTM in multiple connected buildings under a single RTM Company, and reduce the RTM Company's costs liability when a claim fails.
For a building to qualify, at least 50% of leaseholders must join the RTM Company, and the building must contain at least 2 flats. The reforms also clarify what documents the outgoing manager must hand over and within what timeframe, addressing a common source of dispute.
Enfranchisement: buying the freehold collectively
Collective enfranchisement allows leaseholders (minimum 50% must participate) to buy the freehold of their building under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 (LRHUDA 1993). The LRA 2024 reforms this by removing marriage value (making it cheaper) and standardising the valuation rates used to calculate the premium.
In London, collective enfranchisement prices in prime areas run from £5,000 to £50,000+ per flat depending on lease length, ground rent, and freeholder. In regional cities it is typically £2,000–15,000 per flat. Add legal and valuation costs of £3,000–5,000 per flat.
After enfranchisement, the leaseholders' company grants themselves 999-year leases at peppercorn, effectively making them freehold owners. The company then decides how to manage the building — appointing their own agent or self-managing.
Building safety: post-Grenfell obligations
The Building Safety Act 2022 fundamentally changed liability for cladding and fire safety defects. Developers and freeholders of buildings over 11m are responsible for remediation costs — leaseholders in affected buildings should NOT be charged for historical fire safety defects in most cases.
The Building Safety Levy funds remediation for orphan buildings where the developer no longer exists. If your building has an EWS1 (External Wall System) form below B1 rating, you may struggle to sell or remortgage. The Building Safety Regulator (part of HSE) now oversees high-rise buildings over 18m.
Buildings over 18m must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator. The “Principal Accountable Person” (typically the freeholder or head leaseholder) must maintain a Building Safety Case and Safety Case Report, and engage with residents through a formal Residents' Engagement Strategy.
Commonhold: the alternative to leasehold
Commonhold is a form of ownership where each flat owner has freehold title to their unit and collectively owns the common areas through a Commonhold Association. It exists since 2002 (CLRA 2002) but was almost never used — only around 20 commonhold properties exist in England and Wales today.
The Law Commission's 2020 report and subsequent government policy aim to make commonhold the default for new flats. The LRA 2024 includes provisions to make commonhold more workable, including revised Commonhold Community Statement rules and simplified conversion from leasehold to commonhold.
Watch this space: if the reforms succeed, commonhold could replace leasehold for new developments by 2028–2030. For existing leaseholders, conversion to commonhold requires unanimous consent of all leaseholders and the freeholder — a high bar that makes retrofitting slow.
Service Charges — Challenging Unreasonable Costs
The FTT has jurisdiction to reduce service charges it considers unreasonable. Here is how to use it.
What are reasonable service charges?
Under LTA 1985 s.19, service charges are only payable to the extent they are reasonably incurred and the services or works are of a reasonable standard. The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) determines reasonableness — it is free to apply (filing fee £100–200) and you do not need a solicitor.
Typical unreasonable charges include: management fees above 15% of total service charge budget, insurance placed with insurers that pay significant commissions to the freeholder, and maintenance contracts priced well above market rate. Always obtain independent quotes for comparison before paying disputed charges.
The FTT regularly reduces management fees from 20–25% (what some rogue managers charge) to 10–12% of the service charge budget. A determination by the FTT that charges are unreasonable is binding on the landlord and can be enforced by the county court if ignored.
Reserve fund contributions: rights and protections
Service charge reserve funds (or sinking funds) must be held in trust (LTA 1987 s.42) and cannot be used for anything other than the purposes for which they were collected. If the freeholder goes into administration, the reserve fund cannot be seized by creditors — it belongs to leaseholders.
You can inspect the service charge accounts and demand a written summary (LTA 1985 s.21). The management company must provide accounts within 6 months of the year end. If accounts are late or absent, this is itself a criminal offence (maximum fine level 4).
Challenge any reserve fund contribution that seems disproportionate to future planned works by applying to the FTT. A well-managed 30-flat building in England might hold £3,000–5,000 per flat in the reserve fund; holding £30,000 per flat with no identifiable planned major works is unreasonable.
Insurance: freeholders' secret commissions
Building insurance in leasehold properties is typically arranged by the freeholder and charged to leaseholders via service charges. Historically, freeholders received large commissions (kickbacks) from insurers — sometimes 30–40% of the premium — while leaseholders had no visibility.
The LRA 2024 bans insurance commissions for freeholders and managing agents. Going forward, any insurance-related payments to freeholders or agents must be disclosed and justified. If you suspect your building's insurance is overpriced, commission a survey: RICS-regulated brokers can provide comparison quotes and identify commission arrangements.
A 20-flat London building should typically pay £8,000–15,000 per year in buildings insurance. If you are paying £30,000+ with no specialist risk factors (swimming pool, listed building, high flood risk), challenge it. The FTT can direct the freeholder to place insurance more competitively.
Administration charges: fees for everything
Beyond service charges, freeholders charge “administration charges” for: consenting to subletting (£50–300), approving alterations (£200–1,000), providing information for property sales (£150–500, often holding up sales), and processing deed of covenant variations.
The LTA 1985 Schedule 11 (as amended) requires these to be reasonable and leaseholders can challenge them at the FTT. Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE, lease-advice.org) provides free guidance on challenging administration charges. The FTT regularly reduces £500 sublet consent fees to £75.
The average leaseholder pays £500–2,000 per year in administration charges in addition to service charges, particularly in London where active rental markets generate constant subletting consent requests. These charges are a significant and often unchallenged source of freeholder revenue.
Getting help: LEASE, FTT and legal aid
The Leasehold Advisory Service (lease-advice.org, 020 7832 2500) provides free expert advice on all leasehold matters including service charges, lease extensions, RTM, and administration charges. Their helpline is staffed by qualified solicitors and surveyors. They also publish detailed free guides on every aspect of leasehold law.
For formal disputes, the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) at hmcts-property-chamber.service.gov.uk handles service charge disputes, lease extension valuations, and RTM claims. Legal aid is not available for FTT proceedings but many cases can be brought by leaseholders in person using the FTT's own guidance notes.
Solicitors specialising in leasehold work include Brethertons, Fieldfisher (London), and Anthony Gold (London). Many offer fixed-fee services for lease extensions (£1,500–3,000) and FTT applications. The Housing Law Practitioners Association (hlpa.org.uk) maintains a referral directory of specialist leasehold solicitors across England.
Lease Extensions — When and How
The 80-year cliff is real. Here is the complete process for extending your lease before it costs you tens of thousands more.
When to extend: the 80-year cliff
A lease with fewer than 80 years remaining becomes significantly more expensive to extend because marriage value kicks in at exactly 80 years (before LRA 2024 full commencement). As a rule of thumb, consider extending before your lease drops below 85 years to build in a safety margin.
Below 70 years, mortgage lenders become uncomfortable and may require a higher deposit or charge higher rates. Below 60 years, some lenders refuse to lend entirely. Below 50 years, the property becomes very difficult to sell or remortgage, effectively trapping you.
Check your lease length now — it depreciates slowly for decades and then falls off a cliff. A lease that was 125 years in 1980 is now only 79 years. Your buyers' solicitors will flag anything under 85 years and your buyer may walk away.
The statutory extension process step by step
Step 1: Instruct a specialist leasehold solicitor and RICS-registered valuer. Step 2: Valuer prepares a premium estimate. Step 3: Solicitor serves a Section 42 Notice (Tenant's Notice) on the freeholder specifying the proposed premium.
Step 4: Freeholder has 2 months to respond with Counter-Notice. Step 5: Negotiate the premium (typically 3–6 months). Step 6: If agreement reached, complete the extension. Step 7: If no agreement within 6 months of Counter-Notice, apply to the FTT for determination.
Cost: your solicitor £1,500–3,000, your valuer £800–1,500, plus the freeholder's legal costs (you pay these too, typically £500–1,500). Plus stamp duty land tax if the premium exceeds £125,000. Total professional costs typically £3,000–6,000.
Informal vs statutory extension: pros and cons
Freeholders often offer informal extensions outside the statutory process — sometimes cheaper and faster (no legal process), but with significant risks. The new lease terms may be less favourable: higher ground rent, unfavourable repair obligations, or a shorter term than you could achieve statutorily.
You also waive some statutory rights if you accept an informal extension without going through the s.42 Notice process, and you cannot apply to the FTT if the price is unfair. Freeholders sometimes offer informal extensions at above-market premiums, knowing leaseholders don't know the statutory alternative.
The statutory route under the LRA 1993 is slower (typically 6–18 months) but gives you FTT recourse if the freeholder asks an unreasonable premium and gives you a guaranteed 990-year extension at peppercorn ground rent. Always get legal advice before accepting any informal extension offer.
Premium calculation: how the price is determined
The lease extension premium has three components (before LRA 2024 full commencement): (1) Ground rent capitalisation — the loss to the freeholder of ground rent income; (2) Reversion value — the present value of the freeholder getting the flat back at lease expiry (very small for long leases); (3) Marriage value — 50% of the uplift in value from having a longer lease (only applies below 80 years).
After LRA 2024 full implementation, marriage value is abolished and the calculation standardised using prescribed capitalisation and deferment rates set by the Secretary of State. This will make premiums more predictable and remove the current incentive for freeholders to delay while the lease ticks below 80 years.
Use the online calculators at lease-advice.org for an indicative premium. For a flat worth £400,000 with 85 years remaining and £200 ground rent, the premium might be approximately £10,000–16,000 before the LRA 2024 reforms.
Collective enfranchisement: buy the freehold instead
If 50%+ of leaseholders in your building participate, you can collectively buy the freehold under the LRHUDA 1993. This has major advantages: you control the building's management directly (or appoint your preferred managing agent), you grant yourselves 999-year leases at peppercorn, and you capture any development value in the building.
Disadvantages: it requires significant coordination (getting 50%+ of neighbours to agree and contribute funds), substantial legal costs, and a large upfront capital outlay for the premium. The freeholder must accept your initial offer or can only dispute the price at the FTT.
Particularly popular in London mansion blocks: a 20-flat building in Kensington might cost £150,000–500,000 to enfranchise collectively (£7,500–25,000 per flat), plus £2,000–5,000 per flat in legal and valuation costs. Outside London, costs are substantially lower — a 10-flat building in Birmingham might enfranchise for £15,000–40,000 total.
Your Rights as a Leaseholder in England
Six statutory rights every leaseholder in England must know. These are not optional — they are legal protections backed by criminal and civil sanctions.
Right to inspect accounts
Under LTA 1985 s.21, you can demand a written summary of service charge costs within 1 month of request. Under s.22, you can then inspect the accounts and receipts for 2 months after the summary is provided. The landlord commits a criminal offence if they refuse (maximum fine level 4, currently £2,500). Keep all requests in writing and send by recorded delivery. If refused, report to your local council's housing enforcement team or apply to the county court for an injunction compelling disclosure.
Section 20 consultation rights
Before carrying out works costing more than £250 per leaseholder or entering long-term agreements costing £100+ per year, your landlord must follow Section 20 LTA 1985 consultation. You have 30 days to comment on proposed works and nominate contractors. If the landlord ignores this process, they can only recover £250 per leaseholder — regardless of the actual cost. Keep records of all S20 notices received and your responses. Apply to the FTT to limit charges if consultation was defective.
First-tier Tribunal: challenge unreasonable charges
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) has jurisdiction to determine whether service charges are reasonable (LTA 1985 s.27A). The application fee is £100–200 and you can represent yourself. The FTT can also determine lease extension premiums, RTM disputes, and management order applications. Decisions of the FTT are binding on both parties. For major disputes (£10,000+), consider instructing a barrister or specialist solicitor — but many FTT cases are won by leaseholders acting in person.
Right to Manage your building
Under CLRA 2002, leaseholders in a qualifying building (at least 50% participation, building must have at least 2 flats) can take over management without buying the freehold. Form an RTM Company (Companies House, standard Articles), serve a Claim Notice on the freeholder, and after 3 months the management transfers. No tribunal needed unless the freeholder serves a Counter-Notice challenging eligibility. The LRA 2024 relaxes the 25% commercial space limit that previously excluded many mixed-use buildings. Cost: £2,000–5,000 for the legal process.
Right to first refusal when freehold is sold
Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, if your freeholder wants to sell the freehold, they must first offer it to the leaseholders at the same price. You have 2 months to accept. If the freeholder sells without offering you first refusal, you can apply to court to acquire the freehold at the same price within 4 years. This right applies to residential buildings with at least 50% residential use and where more than 50% of flats are owned by qualifying tenants. Many leaseholders are unaware of this right — don't let your freeholder sell without telling you.
Challenging administration charges
Administration charges (fees for consenting to subletting, alterations, deed of covenant) must be reasonable (LTA 1985 Schedule 11). You can challenge them at the FTT within 6 months of payment. Common unreasonable charges: £500+ for a simple consent to sublet, £1,000+ for alterations consent in a standard flat, £300+ for providing a management information pack for a property sale. The FTT regularly reduces such charges to £50–100 for straightforward consents. Always question administration charges — many freeholders rely on leaseholders not knowing they can challenge them.
Managing Agents — Choosing, Monitoring and Replacing
England's managing agent sector is largely unregulated. Here is how to protect yourself and your building.
What a managing agent does
The managing agent collects service charges, arranges maintenance and repairs, manages the building's insurance, keeps accounts, and deals with leaseholder queries. In England, managing agents are not regulated by statute (unlike in Scotland), though the Property Institute (TPMI) and ARMA (Association of Residential Managing Agents) have codes of conduct. From 2024, the Building Safety Act 2022 requires managing agents of high-rise buildings (over 18m) to be registered with the Building Safety Regulator. Always check if your agent is ARMA or RICS accredited.
Monitoring agent performance
Benchmark your agent's management fee against market rates: typically 10–15% of the annual service charge budget, or £100–200 per unit per year in smaller buildings. Request monthly or quarterly financial reports showing income received and expenditure incurred. Compare contractors used against market prices for standard works. If your agent is unresponsive, document all complaints in writing — a pattern of non-response is grounds for RTM or a management order (LTA 1987 s.24).
Replacing a managing agent — the RTM route
The easiest way to replace a managing agent is through Right to Manage. Once the RTM Company takes over, it can appoint any managing agent it chooses, or self-manage. The old managing agent must hand over all building documentation, accounts, insurance policies, contractor contracts, and keys within a specified period. If the outgoing agent fails to hand over records, the RTM Company can apply to the county court for an order compelling disclosure and delivery. Have a replacement agent identified and ready before completing the RTM process.
Management orders: getting a court to replace the agent
If the management of a building is defective — unacceptable service charges, failure to carry out repairs, failure to maintain accounts — leaseholders or the local authority can apply to the FTT for an appointment of a manager under LTA 1987 s.24. The appointed manager takes over from the existing managing agent or freeholder. This is a remedy of last resort but is used effectively for buildings with rogue landlords who refuse to respond to correspondence or maintain the property to a reasonable standard.
TPMI and ARMA accreditation: what they mean
The Property Institute (TPMI, formerly IRPM) accredits individual property managers; ARMA (Association of Residential Managing Agents) accredits firms. ARMA members must follow the ARMA Consumer Charter and Code of Practice, which includes requirements for transparent accounting, responsive complaints handling, and independence on insurance. An ARMA-accredited agent provides a basic floor of professionalism — but even accredited agents can be poor. Always read Google Reviews and ask for references from current clients before appointing an agent.
IgeraFincas: modern management for English leaseholders
IgeraFincas brings AI-powered property management to leaseholders in England. Our platform automates Section 20 consultation tracking, service charge budget transparency, contractor tendering and comparison, and compliance with the Building Safety Act 2022. Leaseholders access their accounts, submit maintenance requests and view building documents through a dedicated portal. We offer full transparency on management fees (fixed fee per unit, no hidden commissions) and insurance (all remuneration disclosed). RTM Companies particularly benefit from our simple onboarding process — we have supported 40+ RTM transitions across England.
IgeraFincas for England
Purpose-built for English leasehold. Transparent pricing. No commissions. Full compliance with the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 and the Building Safety Act 2022.
Section 20 compliance made simple
Managing major works in England means navigating a complex 3-stage Section 20 process with tight deadlines. Miss a stage or a deadline and you are limited to £250 recovery per leaseholder. IgeraFincas automates Section 20 notices, tracks consultation periods, manages contractor quotes, and records all leaseholder observations with timestamps.
Our system creates a complete audit trail for FTT proceedings if challenged. We have managed over 150 Section 20 processes for buildings ranging from 4 to 200 flats across London and regional England, with zero successful challenges for procedural defects.
Leaseholders receive automatic notifications at each stage and can submit their observations directly through our platform. Their responses are automatically recorded and timestamped, protecting both leaseholders and the management company.
Transparent service charge accounting
Service charge accounts must be certified by a qualified accountant and distributed to leaseholders. IgeraFincas generates transparent, RICS-compliant service charge accounts with full line-by-line expenditure breakdowns, reserve fund movements, and year-on-year comparisons.
Leaseholders can log in at any time to see the current year's budget vs actuals, reserve fund balance, and a forward 5-year maintenance plan. Our management fee is fixed at £120–180 per unit per year — no percentage-based fees that incentivise higher spending — and all insurance remuneration is disclosed and credited back to leaseholders.
We publish our management fee schedule openly on our website. There are no hidden charges for maintenance request processing, contractor coordination, or routine correspondence. What you see on the quote is what you pay.
Building Safety Act 2022 compliance
For buildings over 11m (4+ storeys), IgeraFincas manages the Building Safety Case, maintains the Safety Case Report, and coordinates with the Building Safety Manager. For buildings over 18m, we handle registration with the Building Safety Regulator and the statutory reporting obligations under the Higher-Risk Buildings regulations.
Our Building Safety timeline tracker ensures you never miss a deadline — the Act's obligations are phased, with different requirements for different building heights. Fines for non-compliance start at £5,000 and can reach £1 million for serious breaches affecting resident safety.
We also manage the mandatory Residents' Engagement Strategy required for higher-risk buildings, keeping residents informed of safety measures and giving them formal channels to raise safety concerns — a legal obligation that many freeholders have struggled to implement.
Lease extension and RTM support
IgeraFincas partners with specialist leasehold solicitors to offer leaseholders a streamlined lease extension service at fixed costs. We coordinate the Section 42 Notice process, chase the freeholder's Counter-Notice, and manage the negotiation timetable so nothing falls between the cracks.
For RTM, we have a standard process: RTM Company formation at Companies House (£50), Claim Notice drafting, coordination with leaseholders during the 3-month notice period, and seamless management handover. We have supported 40+ RTM transitions in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol.
Our average RTM transition takes 5 months from initial meeting to management takeover. We provide a free RTM eligibility assessment — just send us your lease and building details and we will tell you within 48 hours whether your building qualifies and what the process involves.
Proactive maintenance and reserve fund planning
The single biggest problem in English leasehold is underinvestment in maintenance followed by large emergency special assessments that shock leaseholders. IgeraFincas uses a 30-year rolling maintenance plan based on a professional survey of your building, projecting major expenditure items: roof, lifts, communal decorations, boiler replacement, window renewal, and external works.
Leaseholders can see exactly why they are contributing what they are contributing to the reserve fund. Transparency eliminates the suspicion of padding. Our buildings average 40% fewer emergency repairs than industry benchmarks because small problems are caught and fixed early, before they become expensive failures.
We also run annual building inspections by a RICS-qualified surveyor and share the report with all leaseholders. You see the same report we see — no hidden information, no selective editing. This approach has helped us maintain average service charge increases below inflation across our managed portfolio.
See IgeraFincas in Action
A real Section 20 scenario — how our platform would guide you through it.
Leaseholder — Flat 12, Redwood Court
Our freeholder wants to replace the roof for £180,000 — that's £6,000 per flat. They haven't consulted us. What can we do?
IgeraFincas — Section 20 Alert
This is a clear Section 20 case. For qualifying works costing over £250 per leaseholder (which £6,000 clearly exceeds), your freeholder must follow the 3-stage Section 20 LTA 1985 consultation process before awarding the contract.
If they proceed without consultation, they can only recover £250 per flat regardless of actual cost — so their £180,000 bill becomes £7,500 (30 flats × £250). Here is what to do:
- 1.Write to the freeholder by recorded delivery stating they have not complied with Section 20 and you reserve all rights to challenge any service charge demand relating to these works.
- 2.Apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to challenge the service charges as not having followed the consultation process. The application fee is £100–200.
- 3.The FTT can cap the charges at £250 per flat. Contact LEASE (lease-advice.org) for free advice on the exact procedure and help drafting the application.
IgeraFincas handles Section 20 tracking, FTT application drafting, and leaseholder coordination automatically. Your building is protected even when you don't know to look.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common questions from leaseholders in England — answered by our specialist team.
What is the difference between service charges and ground rent?+
How long does a lease extension take and how much does it cost?+
Can I sublet my leasehold flat?+
What can I do if the freeholder refuses to carry out necessary repairs?+
What is Right to Manage and how do I start the process?+
How does the Building Safety Act 2022 affect me as a leaseholder?+
Where can I get free help with leasehold problems in England?+
Ready to take control of your leasehold building?
Whether you are facing a Section 20 dispute, planning an RTM, or simply want transparent management with no hidden commissions, IgeraFincas is built for English leaseholders.
Free initial consultation. Fixed management fees. Full Building Safety Act 2022 compliance. LRA 2024 ready.
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