This article looks at Section 24 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, which lets leaseholders apply to a tribunal to have an independent manager appointed in place of a landlord or managing agent whose performance falls short.
It covers the grounds a tribunal will consider, the preliminary notice leaseholders must serve before applying, and how the process differs from the Right to Manage route, including what can happen once a manager has been in place for a couple of years.
There is also a section on the residential block management and dispute support services Maunder Taylor offers across North London and Hertfordshire.
This article will take around three minutes to read.
Leaking roofs, unrepaired communal areas, and steadily rising service charges are among the most common complaints leaseholders raise about a landlord or managing agent. When informal complaints go nowhere, many assume their only serious option is to buy the freehold outright. However, there is a more direct route. Section 24 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 lets a tribunal strip a landlord of their management powers entirely. Here, Maunder Taylor takes a closer look at when this applies and how the process works.
Residential Block Management in Barnet with Maunder Taylor
At Maunder Taylor, we provide residential block management services in Barnet, North London and Hertfordshire, acting for Resident Management Companies, Right to Manage companies, freehold companies and investor landlords. We also offer property-related legal representation and dispute services, so leaseholders and RMCs facing an unresponsive landlord do not have to navigate a tribunal application alone. To find out more, visit our website, or call us on 01707 665 666.
What Section 24 Actually Does
Section 24 gives the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) power to appoint an independent manager to take over the running of flats, in place of the landlord or their existing agent. The tribunal can only make this order in specific circumstances: where the landlord is in breach of a management obligation under the lease, where service charges are unreasonable in amount or pay for work of an unnecessarily high or insufficient standard, or where the landlord has failed to comply with an approved code of management practice, such as the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Residential Service Charge Management Code. In every case, the tribunal must also be satisfied it is “just and convenient” to make the order.
Before You Reach the Tribunal
Leaseholders cannot apply straight away. A preliminary notice under Section 22 of the same Act must first be served on the landlord, setting out the problems and giving a reasonable period of time to put things right. Only if the landlord fails to act within that period, or the issue genuinely cannot be fixed, can an application proceed to the tribunal. A specific, suitably qualified individual is usually nominated as the proposed manager before an order is made.
A Step Beyond Right to Manage
Section 24 is often seen as leaseholders’ last resort. Unlike the Right to Manage (RTM) process under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, it does not require leaseholders to take on management themselves, and it can also be used where an RTM company’s own management has become unsatisfactory. A Section 24 manager reports to the tribunal, not to the landlord or leaseholders, and typically holds the role for a set period, often around two years. None of this requires buying the freehold, though leaseholders who have had a manager in place for at least two years may separately apply to court for an acquisition order.
Leasehold Advice and Contacting Maunder Taylor
Maunder Taylor has experience supporting leaseholders and RMCs through management disputes of this kind, from reviewing the lease and service charge accounts through to preparing a case for the tribunal. We also offer commercial property management, property valuations, and wider leasehold dispute advice across North London. To discuss a potential Section 24 application, call our main office on 020 8446 0011, or our residential block management team on 01707 665 666.
FAQs
Q: Will I have to pay my landlord’s legal costs if my Section 24 application fails or succeeds?
A: Not automatically. Under Section 20C of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, leaseholders can separately ask the tribunal to order that a landlord’s costs are not added to the service charge, decided case by case. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 is also expected to go further, removing the general presumption that leaseholders cover a landlord’s costs. According to the government’s response to its July 2026 consultation, these wider reforms are due to be implemented as soon as possible from 2027, so this remains a developing area.
Q: Does a tribunal-appointed manager replace my freeholder for good?
A: Not necessarily. An order can run for a set period or indefinitely, but the tribunal can vary or discharge it if circumstances change. Where a manager has been in place for at least two years, qualifying leaseholders may separately apply to court for an acquisition order to buy the landlord’s interest outright, though this is a distinct step, not an automatic outcome.