Running a management company well requires legal support that spans property law, company law, and the specific obligations created by leasehold arrangements. At BWS Law, our management company solicitors advise residents’ management companies, right to manage (RTM) companies, landlords, and individual leaseholders throughout Loughborough, the East Midlands, and across the UK. Whether you are a director of a management company grappling with your obligations, a group of leaseholders ready to take control of your building, or an individual in dispute over service charges, we are here to help.
Our management company solicitors’ expertise covers the full range of issues that directors, leaseholders, and landlords encounter, including:
A residents’ management company (RMC) is typically incorporated when a leasehold development is created, with ownership and control passing progressively to leaseholders over time. A right to manage (RTM) company allows qualifying leaseholders to take over management functions from a landlord without needing to demonstrate mismanagement or purchase the freehold.
Both structures require careful setup and ongoing governance. We can advise on incorporation, articles of association, and ensuring that a company is properly structured from the outset. For RTM companies, the procedural requirements are strict, and errors in the notice process can bring an otherwise valid claim to a halt. We guide clients through every stage, from checking eligibility and forming the company to serving the claim notice and responding to any counter-notice from the landlord or freeholder. We can also advise leaseholders and freeholders who have received a claim notice and need to understand their position.
Service charges are among the most contested areas of leasehold law. A management company is entitled to recover reasonable costs from leaseholders, but only where those costs genuinely are reasonable, and the correct procedures have been followed. Disputes arise regularly over the amount demanded, the quality of works carried out, or whether the required consultation process has been observed.
For major works, landlords and management companies must consult with leaseholders before proceeding. We advise management companies on running consultations correctly, and we assist leaseholders in challenging charges where the process has not been properly observed. Where a dispute cannot be settled by agreement, we can represent clients before the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).
The day-to-day running of a management company involves considerably more than collecting service charges and commissioning repairs. Directors carry responsibilities under both company law and the terms of the lease. Those responsibilities cover everything from maintaining adequate buildings insurance and filing annual accounts with Companies House, to enforcing lease covenants, managing arrears, and dealing with the legal requirements triggered when a unit within the development is sold or transferred.
We advise directors on their duties and personal liabilities, help draft and review contracts with external managing agents, and prepare the documentation needed when properties change hands. Where a leaseholder is in breach of their lease, through non-payment of service charges, unauthorised alterations, or some other default, we can advise on the appropriate enforcement steps and, where necessary, represent the management company in legal proceedings.
Conflicts between management companies and leaseholders can quickly escalate if not addressed promptly. Common causes of disputes include contested service charge demands, disagreements over the scope of repair and maintenance obligations, applications to appoint a substitute manager where the management company has failed in its duties, and, in the most serious cases, forfeiture proceedings for persistent lease breach.
We take a measured, proportionate approach to disputes between management companies and leaseholders, seeking to resolve issues through negotiation or mediation wherever possible. Where proceedings are unavoidable, we provide robust representation before the First-tier Tribunal, the county court, or any other forum.
Whatever your position in a management company structure, the specialist team at BWS Law is well placed to give you the advice and support you need.
We offer:
Our solicitors have a strong track record in leasehold and management company work, advising clients across Loughborough and the wider East Midlands as well as acting for clients nationally. Clients benefit from advisers who combine real technical depth in property and company law with the kind of attentive, personal service that defines a trusted local firm. We give straight-talking advice and take real ownership of the matters we handle, so clients know their case is in safe hands.
Our starting point is always understanding the practical outcome our client is working towards. We listen carefully, explain the position clearly, and give advice that is honest about timescales, costs, and risk. You will find us accessible and responsive. You will not need to chase us for updates, and our team will be readily available to answer questions as they arise. We build working relationships based on trust, and clients regularly tell us they value the confidence that comes with that.
Management company matters can become expensive if they are not handled efficiently. Our solicitors bring the experience needed to progress matters without unnecessary delays, avoiding the procedural pitfalls that drive up costs on both sides. We are committed to delivering high-quality advice at rates that are genuinely competitive, so that our clients achieve the right outcome without paying over the odds.
If you have a management company issue you need help with, contact our team today to find out more about how we can assist.
To find out more about how we can help you, please call us on now on 01509 232611 or Click here to make an enquiry.
