LON/00AE/LSC/2024/0691 — service charge decision
In LON/00AE/LSC/2024/0691, decided 8 September 2025, the First-tier Tribunal considered 12 disputed service charge items at 39B Linacre Road, London NW2 5AY and reached a mixed result: 12 items were reduced or disallowed. Full decision on GOV.UK below.
Property: 39B Linacre Road, London NW2 5AY
Decision date: 8 September 2025
Full decision: Read on GOV.UK
Managing agent named in the decision: London Land Securities Limited (LLSL).
What was challenged and what the tribunal decided
| Item | Demanded | Allowed | Outcome | Grounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management fees (2016-17) | £750 | £360 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)), Landlord could not evidence the cost |
| Management fees (2017-18) | £750 | £360 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)), Landlord could not evidence the cost |
| Management fees (2018-19) | £720 | £360 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)), Landlord could not evidence the cost |
| Management fees (2019-20) | £720 | £420 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)), Landlord could not evidence the cost |
| Management fees (2020-21) | £720 | £420 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)), Landlord could not evidence the cost |
| Management fees (2021-22) | £720 | £420 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)), Landlord could not evidence the cost |
| Management fees (2022-23) | £720 | £420 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)), Landlord could not evidence the cost |
| Management fees (2023-24) | £720 | £480 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)), Landlord could not evidence the cost |
| Legal & professional costs (2016-17) | £2,160 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)), Landlord could not evidence the cost, Other grounds |
| Legal & professional costs (2017-18) | £2,880 | £648 | Reduced | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)), Landlord could not evidence the cost, Standard not reasonable (s19(1)(b)) |
| Legal & professional costs (2022-23) | £300 | £487 | Reduced | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)), Landlord could not evidence the cost |
| Legal & professional costs (2023-24) | £900 | — | Reduced | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)), Landlord could not evidence the cost, Standard not reasonable (s19(1)(b)) |
Section 20C order: granted.
Key passages (verbatim)
“We find that we cannot discern any methodology behind the per unit costs of management at 39 Linacre Road, save for Mrs Sharma's subjective 'feeling' of how difficult it is to manage.”
“In each of 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 £300 plus VAT”
“In each of 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 £300 plus VAT”
“In each of 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 £350 plus VAT”
“In each of 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 £350 plus VAT”
“In each of 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 £350 plus VAT”
“We found that Mrs Sharma did not give us a satisfactory explanation of why the management fee in respect of the property is so high. The activities she described were well within the bounds of the agreement between LLSL (Mrs Sharma as manager) and Mrs Sharma and Landlord.”
“We find that we cannot discern any methodology behind the per unit costs of management at 39 Linacre Road, save for Mrs Sharma's subjective 'feeling' of how difficult it is to manage.”
“What follows thereafter is frankly bewildering. We cannot ascertain the logic behind running further full section 20 consultations, taking many further months, in respect of works that on Mrs Sharma's own case formed part of the works already consulted on all the way back in 2013.”
“We find that neither the process for engaging LLSL to manage the section 20 process which on its own terms fell outside of its management responsibilities (and for which there is no evidence at all), nor the outcome in terms of its management or cost, is reasonable.”
This summary is assembled from the structured record of the published decision; amounts appear only where the tribunal stated them. Always rely on the full decision itself.