How to challenge your service charges

Service charges are only legally payable to the extent they are reasonable. Under Section 19 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, costs count towards your service charge only to the extent they were reasonably incurred, and only where the work is of a reasonable standard. That single principle is the foundation of almost every successful challenge. This guide walks through the practical steps, in the order you should take them.

Step 1 — Understand what you are being charged

Start with the demand itself and the building's service charge accounts. You are looking for charges that are unusually high, vague ("management costs", "sundries"), duplicated, or for work you are not sure was done. Compare this year against previous years, and — if you can — against similar buildings. Our free audit and the Service Charges Map both help you benchmark.

Also check the demand is valid. It must be accompanied by the prescribed Section 21B summary of rights and obligations and show the landlord's name and address. A demand that does not comply can be treated as not yet payable — see our guide on how to read your service charge demand.

Step 2 — Request the supporting information

You have statutory information rights. Under Section 21 and Section 22 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, you can require a written summary of the costs and then inspect the invoices, receipts and contracts behind them, free of charge. Put the request in writing and keep a copy.

Step 3 — Check for consultation and timing failures

Two of the most common winning grounds are procedural:

• Section 20 consultation. If the works cost you more than £250, or a long-term agreement costs you more than £100 a year, the landlord must formally consult you first. If they did not, your contribution is capped at those figures — no matter how reasonable the works were — unless the tribunal grants dispensation.
• The 18-month rule (Section 20B). Costs demanded more than 18 months after they were incurred are not recoverable unless you were notified in writing, within that 18 months, that the costs had been incurred and would be charged.

Step 4 — Put your challenge in writing

Most disputes should be resolved without a tribunal. Write to the landlord or managing agent setting out, clearly and factually: which charges you are querying, why (with the statutory basis), and what you want — a reduction, a credit, or supporting evidence. Give a reasonable deadline. Stay professional; this correspondence may later be read by a tribunal judge.

Step 5 — Apply to the First-tier Tribunal

If negotiation fails, apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) under Section 27A for a determination of whether the charge is payable and, if so, how much. You can apply whether or not you have already paid. The tribunal is designed for leaseholders to use without a solicitor.

The application process, in outline:

1. Complete the service charge application form and pay the application fee.
2. The tribunal issues directions — a timetable for exchanging statements and evidence.
3. You submit a bundle: the lease, demands, accounts, your correspondence and your argument on each disputed item.
4. Most cases are decided at a short hearing (some on paper). The tribunal's decision on what is payable is binding.

For a full walk-through, see taking your landlord to the First-tier Tribunal: what actually happens.

Step 6 — Protect yourself on costs

Many leases let the landlord add their legal costs of a dispute back into the service charge — so you could "win" and still pay for their lawyers. Ask the tribunal for a Section 20C order, which prevents the landlord recovering their costs of the proceedings through the service charge. Make this request as part of your application.

How likely am I to succeed?

Leaseholders who bring well-evidenced applications do well — reductions are common, particularly where the landlord failed to consult or cannot produce invoices. Independent analysis of the sector has repeatedly found service charges rising far faster than inflation, which is part of why so many charges do not survive scrutiny.

Start with a free audit

Before you write a single letter, find out where you actually stand. Upload your service charge demand, accounts and lease, and our AI checks each charge against the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Section 20 consultation rules and tribunal precedent — then shows you how much could be challengeable, with the reasoning behind each item.

Start my free audit

Frequently asked questions