Right to Manage lets qualifying leaseholders take over the management of their building without buying the freehold and without proving anything against the current landlord. It is a no-fault right. You do not need a reason.
What you do need is to qualify, and to follow the process exactly. Claims fail far more often on procedure than on principle. Before anyone spends money, work through these five.
Broadly, the building must contain flats held on long leases, and a limit applies to how much of it can be non-residential. That limit changed on 3 March 2025, rising from 25% to 50% — which brought a great many mixed-use buildings with shops or offices on the ground floor into scope for the first time.
If you were told a few years ago that your building did not qualify because of commercial space, it is worth asking again. The answer may have changed.
There is a minimum level of participation, and this is where most claims quietly die — not at the tribunal, but at the point where the fifth of twelve flats stops replying to emails.
Before engaging anyone, get a straight yes or no from every leaseholder in writing. Enthusiasm at a residents' meeting is not the same as a signature on a participation agreement, and absent overseas landlords are harder to reach than anyone expects.
Taking over management means taking over the bills. Insurance, the lift contract, the grounds, the compliance work, the accountancy, the agent's fee. If the building has been underfunded, the first honest budget under new management can be higher than the last one under the old regime.
That is not a failure. It is usually the point — the money was always needed, it simply was not being collected. But leaseholders who were sold RTM on a promise of lower service charges tend to turn on the directors within a year.
Model the budget before the claim, not after.
An RTM company needs directors, and they carry real duties. It is unpaid, it is ongoing, and it continues long after the excitement of the claim has worn off.
Two or three people who genuinely understand what they are taking on beats a dozen who volunteered at a meeting. If nobody will put their name forward, that is useful information about whether the building is ready.
The statutory notices, the deadlines and the company formation are unforgiving. A defective notice can invalidate a claim and cost months.
One piece of good news: following the March 2025 changes, leaseholders are no longer liable for the landlord's legal costs in making a claim, and can apply to recover their own costs in disputes. That removes a significant deterrent, and it means specialist advice is a far easier decision than it was.
Use a solicitor who does RTM work regularly. It is a narrow speciality and the fee is small against the cost of starting again.
We are not solicitors and we do not run the legal process. What we do is give you a realistic view of what the building will cost to run, help the company get going once control transfers, and manage it properly afterwards. If you are at the early stage and just want an honest opinion on whether it is worth it, ask.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Qualifying criteria are detailed and fact-specific — take advice on your building before relying on any of it.
Send us your last service charge budget. We'll tell you honestly whether you're getting value — no obligation either way.