Managing agent vs freeholder: what's the difference?

Leaseholders often use "the freeholder" and "the managing agent" interchangeably, but they are two different roles — and knowing which is which matters when you want to question a charge or exercise a right. One owns the building; the other is hired to run it.

The freeholder (landlord)

The freeholder owns the freehold title to the building and is the landlord under your lease. They are the party legally entitled to collect service charges from leaseholders and to enforce the lease. When the statute talks about "the landlord", it means the person entitled to the service charge — which is why your key rights run against the freeholder, not their agent. Note that the freeholder is not always a distant investor: through a residents' management company (RMC) or a right to manage (RTM) company, the leaseholders themselves can effectively control management.

The managing agent

A managing agent is a professional firm appointed to handle the day-to-day running of the building: preparing the service charge budget, collecting the charges, arranging repairs and maintenance, placing buildings insurance, and dealing with contractors. Crucially, the agent does not own the building and has no independent right to your money — they act on behalf of whoever appointed them. That might be the freeholder, an RMC, or an RTM company. Many agents are members of The Property Institute (TPI), the sector's professional body.

Who acts for whom — and why it matters

• The agent works for whoever hired them. If the freeholder appointed the agent, the agent's duty is to the freeholder — not to you. If an RMC or RTM company appointed them, the agent answers to that leaseholder-controlled company.
• Rights run against the landlord. When you challenge a charge at the First-tier Tribunal, the question is whether the charge is payable to the party entitled to it — the agent sending the paperwork does not change that.
• Changing the agent depends on control. If leaseholders control management through an RTM or RMC, they can appoint or replace the agent. Where the freeholder controls management, leaseholders cannot directly remove the agent — but poor management can support a right to manage claim.

You can look up a managing agent's track record — including the tribunal decisions involving them — in our agent records.