Service Charge Risk. Identified Before It Becomes a Problem.

How exposed are your service charges
to challenge?

Forensic review of service charges and Section 20 notices — before issue, after issue or challenge.

We identify compliance, recoverability and tribunal-risk issues before a dispute.

Free Service Charge Stress-Test →

Clear findings. Practical next steps. No jargon.

Confidential  ·  No obligation  ·  Response within 24 hours

Forensic compliance analysis for anyone responsible for service charges, Section 20 notices, lease compliance, or recoverability risk.

Where are you right now?

Before Issue
About to issue demands or S20 notices
→ Pre-Issue Validation — from £495
After Issue
Demands or S20 already issued
→ Post-Issue Compliance Audit — from £495
Not Sure
Need a quick exposure check
→ Free Stress-Test Review — £0
Including small blocks and resident-managed buildings.

Not sure where the risk sits? Send one document and we'll tell you where to start.

Managing a portfolio? We can review multiple blocks under a single instruction.

We assess service charges the way they are tested at tribunal — under challenge.

These are the issues we identify — and the financial consequences when they are not caught before they are formally challenged. All scenarios anonymised.

Section 20 Failure — Major Works £22,500 capped recovery vs £180,000 works cost

90-unit residential block. Section 20 consultation notices were served but the process was invalid — defective contractor nomination rendered the entire consultation non-compliant. Leaseholders challenged post-completion.

Result: £157,500 potentially unrecoverable without dispensation. Recovery capped at £250 per leaseholder — regardless of actual works cost.
Insurance — Undisclosed Remuneration £9,111 undisclosed commission — subject to challenge

Portfolio review identified insurance placement arrangements where commission was not disclosed to leaseholders. Charges had been passed through at cost without transparency for six years.

Result: £9,111 in undisclosed commission — three years of historic charges potentially open to tribunal challenge.
Service Charges — s.20B Timing Breach £34,000 historic costs permanently irrecoverable

Managing agent failed to issue demands for major maintenance costs within the 18-month statutory window under s.20B of the LT Act 1985. The works were legitimate, the costs reasonable — but the timing failure rendered them permanently irrecoverable regardless of merit.

Result: £34,000 written off. Once the s.20B window closes, there is no mechanism to recover — leaseholders were not required to contribute and the freeholder had no remedy.
Client Outcomes

What clients say

"We identified £34,000 in irrecoverable charges before the leaseholder made a formal application. Without the review, we would not have known until we were already at tribunal."

Managing Agent — South East England

"We were about to serve Section 20 notices on a £240,000 roof replacement. The pre-issue review identified a defect in our contractor nomination process that would have rendered the entire consultation invalid. We corrected it before anything went out. Without that check, we would have been looking at a £250-per-unit cap on a six-figure project."

RTM Company Director — North West England

"A portfolio review flagged that demands for a significant maintenance project had not been issued within the 18-month statutory window. We had no idea the s.20B deadline applied. The review identified the exposure before any leaseholder challenge — and confirmed exactly which costs were still recoverable and which were not."

Block Manager — Midlands

"One of our standard demand templates had been missing a required landlord address notice for years. Every demand issued from that template was technically invalid. The compliance audit caught it across multiple blocks simultaneously — we were able to correct going forward and understand the historic exposure before anyone raised it formally."

Managing Agent — South East England

Five services. One clear model.

Entry Point — No Obligation

Stress-Test Review

A free, high-level exposure check. Send us a recent demand, Section 20 notice or budget, and also a copy of the lease. We confirm whether any immediate risk exists — and which of our services applies. No commitment, no cost.

£0
Free — no obligation
Request Free Stress-Test →
High-level review of a demand, S20 notice, budget or lease
Initial Section 20 and demand exposure check
Headline risk flags — verbal or short written summary
Clear recommendation on which service applies

If exposure is identified, we will confirm the exact scope and fixed cost to resolve it — before any work begins.

Most clients who proceed move to a full compliance audit once initial exposure is confirmed.

Before Issue
Pre-Issue Validation

Pre-Issue Validation Section 20 & Demands

Before issuing demands or Section 20 notices — identify defects while they can still be corrected.

£495
Per block
Request Review →
Lease and statutory compliance checked — s.47, s.48, s.20B, notice structure and budgets reviewed against the lease and statute
Section 20 structure reviewed — validity, consultation process, QLTAs, and cost recoverability
Written sign-off or defect report within 48 hours

Outcome: Issue with confidence — or correct before it becomes a problem.

After Issue

Post-Issue Compliance Audit Section 20 & Demands

Demands or Section 20 notices already issued — identify what is exposed, what is recoverable, and what is already lost.

£495
Per block — scope dependent
Request Review →
Demands, Section 20 notices and budgets reviewed against the lease and statute
s.20B breaches, invalid demands and non-lease charges identified
Full written report with risk grading and statutory references

Outcome: Clear position on what stands — and what may not survive challenge.

Typical exposure identified: £5,000–£150,000+ per block.

Portfolio Support — Retainer

Ongoing Compliance Support

Continuous compliance oversight across your portfolio. Pre-demand checks, pre-notice reviews, ad hoc compliance queries, and early warning identification — before issues surface as formal challenges.

£150+
Per block / per month
Enquire About Retainers →
Ongoing review before issue — pre-demand and pre-notice checks across the portfolio
Ad hoc compliance checks — queries answered as they arise
Risk flagged early — issues identified before they surface as formal challenges

Outcome: Continuous protection of service charge recovery across your portfolio.

Smaller Blocks — 1 to 8 Units

Small Block Compliance Check

For freeholders and resident directors managing 1–8 apartments. Separate from our main block and portfolio services. Full compliance check of service charge demands and Section 20 notices — reviewed against the lease, statute, and tribunal standards. £195 fixed fee.

Designed for smaller buildings — simple, clear, and proportionate to your block. No technical knowledge required — we handle the detail.

Most small block issues are simple — but can still become expensive if missed.

£195
Fixed fee — 1–8 units
Request Small Block Check →

Outcome: Clear position on compliance and recoverability — with a written recommendation on next steps.

Why instruct us?

Led by a specialist who has prepared service charge cases from both landlord and leaseholder positions.

We identify defects, quantify recovery risk, and explain what is unlikely to survive challenge.

We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. We identify service charge compliance, recoverability and tribunal-risk issues before they become disputes.

Can this cost be recovered?

In many cases, this review may be recoverable as a management expense, subject to the lease, reasonableness and the purpose of the instruction.

Where required, we can provide supporting wording explaining why the review was obtained.

Timing matters. Once demands or Section 20 notices are issued or challenged, many defects cannot be corrected.

Find out where your service charges are exposed
— before they are challenged.

Send us one document. We will identify obvious exposure and confirm where the risk sits — at no cost, within 24 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most compliance reviews are prepared from the landlord's perspective — checking whether charges appear reasonable and whether process was followed. Our reviews are built from the other direction: we assess charges the way a leaseholder's representative would challenge them at tribunal. Having worked on both sides of service charge disputes, we know exactly where defects are found, how cases are constructed, and what arguments succeed. That dual perspective is what makes these reviews forensic rather than administrative.
In our experience, a significant number of service charge portfolios contain technical non-compliance — often undetected. This is particularly common under Section 20 consultation rules and demand validity requirements under LT Act 1987. Issues are rarely surfaced until a formal challenge arrives, at which point recovery may already be at risk and retrospective correction is not always possible.
It is a high-level review — not a full audit. We look at a recent demand or budget, check for obvious Section 20 exposure, and identify headline risk flags. The output is a short verbal or written summary confirming whether risk exists and whether a full compliance audit is recommended. No detailed findings or legal analysis are provided at this stage.
Yes. Our role is forensic and preventative — we identify exposure before it reaches the point of dispute, reducing the burden on your legal team. We audit service charges the way they are challenged at tribunal, giving you early visibility of exposure and the opportunity to correct issues before they are formally disputed. We work alongside solicitors, not instead of them — and in most cases, the earlier we identify a problem, the less legal involvement is required.
Yes. The compliance audit includes a Section 20 compliance assessment as standard, covering consultation validity, notice timing, contractor selection requirements, and QLTA compliance. If you have an active major works programme requiring pre-issue sign-off, the dedicated Section 20 & Demand Sign-Off service is the appropriate product — this reviews notices before they are served.
We give you a clear, written summary of what is found, the statutory basis for the issue, the risk level, and what can be done about it. Where remediation is possible, we provide a structured route to correction. Where it is not — for example, where an 18-month window has already closed — we will tell you honestly and help you manage the exposure.
Yes. Freeholders are ultimately responsible for the recoverability of service charges regardless of who manages the property. Managing agents are not always in a position to identify their own errors — and in most cases a leaseholder challenge is directed at the freeholder, not the agent. An independent compliance review gives you visibility of exposure that your managing agent may not flag, and often cannot be expected to.

Find out if your service charges are exposed — before someone else does.

Send us a recent demand, Section 20 notice, or summary. We will carry out a high-level exposure check and confirm whether any immediate risk exists.

Reviews built on experience from both sides of service charge disputes — so we know exactly what a challenge looks for, and where to find it.

What happens next

1

You submit your details and any documents you want reviewed.

2

We carry out a high-level exposure check — typically within 24 hours.

3

We tell you exactly where you stand — and what to do next. No obligation.

ForManaging agents · Block managers · RTM companies · RMC directors · Asset managers · Freeholders · Solicitors
StatuteLT Act 1985 · LT Act 1987 · CLRA 2002
ResponseUsually within 24 hours

Start Your Review

Send a demand, Section 20 notice, or summary — we will tell you what is exposed. Clear answer. No obligation. No sales pressure.

Usually within 24 hours 7 days a week

🔒 All information treated in strict confidence.

🔒 Confidential · No obligation · No follow-up pressure

Prefer email? Send documents directly to
info@ServiceChargeCompliance.co.uk