MAN/00BQ/LSC/2024/0239 — service charge decision
In MAN/00BQ/LSC/2024/0239, decided 12 May 2025, the First-tier Tribunal considered 4 disputed service charge items at 124 Abbey Road, Middleton, M24 6HQ and reached a mixed result: 1 item was reduced or disallowed. Full decision on GOV.UK below.
Property: 124 Abbey Road, Middleton, M24 6HQ
Decision date: 12 May 2025
Full decision: Read on GOV.UK
Managing agent named in the decision: Rochdale Boroughwide Housing.
What was challenged and what the tribunal decided
| Item | Demanded | Allowed | Outcome | Grounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staffing & concierge (2024-25) | £4.33 | £4.33 | Allowed in full | — |
| Utilities (2024-25) | £4.17 | £4.17 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2024-25) | £0.11 | £0.11 | Allowed in full | — |
| Management fees (2024-25) | £1.29 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Not payable under the lease |
Section 20C order: granted.
Key passages (verbatim)
“the Respondent's evidence as to the calculation of that charge on a per property basis is, the Tribunal find, on a reasonable and rational basis; the Tribunal finds that the charge is not unreasonable in amount.”
“The Tribunal find the communal electricity charges neither unreasonably incurred, nor, in the absence of specific evidence as to the level of consumption having regard to the service provided liable to be reduced on the basis that the service is not of a reasonable standard.”
“this charge is incurred on the same basis as the communal electricity charges, and, for the reasons given in relation to the communal electricity charges, the Applicant's challenge is rejected.”
“There is no reference in the lease to a management charge being an element of the service charge, nor is there any evidence that the lease has been amended pursuant to clause 2.2(b) to add a management charge.”
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.