Block Management Guides
Most leaseholders arrive here with one of four problems. Each has a different answer — and a different destination. Start with whichever describes your situation right now.
1. Something is wrong with how the building is managed
Poor communication, ignored repairs, missing accounts, aggressive debt collection. The formal process starts here — a written complaint to the managing agent and, if unresolved, their government-approved redress scheme. But first: make sure your complaint is going to the right body. Sending a service charge dispute to the ombudsman is the single most common mistake.
How to complain about your managing agent →
2. The charges feel wrong
Service charge demands that have jumped with no explanation, invoices for work you cannot verify, major works bills you were never consulted about. This is a different problem from poor service — and it goes to a different place: the First-tier Tribunal, not the ombudsman. The 2024 Act also means you no longer risk paying the freeholder’s legal costs if you challenge.
How to challenge unreasonable service charges →
3. The problem is bigger than any single complaint
The same problems keep recurring. Complaints go nowhere. The agent is accountable to the freeholder, not to the people paying the bills. At this point you need to change who controls the building — not just who manages it. Right to Manage is a no-fault statutory right. You do not need to prove anything went wrong.
4. You need a better operator
You have the power to appoint your own agent — either because you have won RTM, run an RMC, or the freeholder has agreed to re-tender. This guide tells you what to actually look for beyond the glossy brochure: accreditations, fee structures, staff workload limits, and the six questions that reveal whether an agent is worth appointing.
How to choose a block manager →
Background reading
The four guides above focus on problems and decisions. These pages cover the fundamentals of how leasehold block management works, what fees are normal, and what your options are as a leaseholder:
- Block management fees explainedWhat UK block management fees typically cost, how they're charged (per-flat vs percentage), what's included, and how to compare quotes fairly.
- Managing agents for small blocks of flatsHow to find a managing agent that will take on a small block of flats — plus the self-management and Right to Manage options, and what to look for.
- Property block management companiesWhat property block management companies do, how they differ from estate and letting agents, and how to compare accredited firms in the UK.
- Leasehold block management explainedHow leasehold block management works in England & Wales: who appoints the managing agent, what you pay, your rights, and how to compare or change managers.
Last updated July 2026.