---
title: "Service Charges: UK Block Management Guides"
url: https://manage.management/blog/category/service-charges
article_count: 26
publisher: Manage.Management
language: en-GB
---

# Service Charges: UK Block Management Guides

## [Service Charge Regulations 2026: What the Five New Rules Do](https://manage.management/blog/service-charge-regulations-2026-what-the-five-new-rules-mean-for-your-block)
2026-11-13 · 9 min read

Five regulations laid on 12 November 2026 give leaseholders information rights and legal cost protection from April 2027, and require standard demands, accounts and an insurance disclosure document from November 2027.

## [Administration Charges: What Landlords Can Charge](https://manage.management/blog/administration-charges-what-landlords-can-charge-and-how-to-challenge-them)
2026-11-12 · 10 min read

Landlords can only charge administration fees the lease allows, variable fees must be reasonable under Schedule 11 of the 2002 Act, and leaseholders can challenge them at the First-tier Tribunal.

## [Spreadsheets vs Block Management Software for a Small RMC](https://manage.management/blog/spreadsheets-vs-block-management-software-for-a-small-rmc)
2026-11-11 · 8 min read

A spreadsheet is free and can work for a very small RMC, but software for a 10-flat block costs from about £180 a year and reduces the risk of non-compliant demands and late billing.

## [Section 20B: The 18-Month Rule on Late Service Charge Demands](https://manage.management/blog/section-20b-the-18-month-rule-on-late-service-charge-demands)
2026-11-08 · 9 min read

Under section 20B, leaseholders do not have to pay for costs incurred more than 18 months before a service charge demand unless they were warned in writing in time, and from April 2027 that warning becomes a prescribed future demand notice.

## [Self-Managed Block Software: Published UK Prices Compared (2026)](https://manage.management/blog/self-managed-block-software-published-uk-prices-compared-2026)
2026-11-07 · 8 min read

Software for a self-managed block costs from £0 to about £3,350 a year at 2026 published prices, with a 20-flat block paying between £300 and £2,268 depending on the tool.

## [Reserve Funds (Sinking Funds): How Much a Block Should Hold and Who Decides](https://manage.management/blog/reserve-funds-sinking-funds-how-much-a-block-should-hold-and-who-decides)
2026-11-03 · 9 min read

When a block can collect a reserve fund, how much it should hold, who sets the contribution and how the money must be held. The lease, section 42 trusts, the RICS Code and how to challenge or change a reserve fund.

## [Leasehold Reform Timetable Confirmed: Service Charge, Insurance and Legal Cost Changes from 2027](https://manage.management/blog/leasehold-reform-timetable-confirmed-service-charge-insurance-and-legal-cost-changes-from-2027)
2026-11-02 · 8 min read

New commencement regulations fix the dates for LAFRA 2024 service charge reforms: information rights and legal costs from April 2027, prescribed demands, accounts and annual reports from November 2027. What RMC and RTM directors should do now.

## [Buildings Insurance for Blocks of Flats: What Leaseholders Are Entitled to See](https://manage.management/blog/buildings-insurance-for-blocks-of-flats-what-leaseholders-are-entitled-to-see)
2026-10-30 · 8 min read

Leaseholders can see the buildings insurance summary, policy, premium breakdown and commission paid. What the 1985 Act and FCA rules require, what LAFRA changes next, and what directors should do at renewal.

## [Service Charge Accounts: How to Prepare Them Right](https://manage.management/blog/service-charge-accounts-how-to-prepare-them-right)
2026-10-26 · 12 min read

Learn how to prepare service charge accounts correctly with this step by step guide covering leases, trust accounts, certification and more.

## [Accounting for Leasehold Blocks: How to Track Service Charge Costs Correctly](https://manage.management/blog/accounting-for-leases-how-to-track-costs-correctly)
2026-10-22 · 7 min read

How resident directors and managing agents should account for a leasehold block: what the lease lets you recover, holding money in trust, coding every cost and producing year-end accounts leaseholders trust.

## [Service Charge Reconciliation: What Happens at Year End](https://manage.management/blog/service-charge-reconciliation-what-happens-at-year-end)
2026-10-14 · 13 min read

Master service charge reconciliation with this complete guide to year end deadlines, surplus and deficit rules, and leaseholder disputes in the UK.

## [Section 20 Consultation: A Step-by-Step Checklist for Blocks](https://manage.management/blog/section-20-consultation-a-step-by-step-checklist-for-blocks)
2026-10-13 · 11 min read

Master section 20 consultation with a step-by-step checklist covering thresholds, notice stages, and key timelines for full leaseholder compliance.

## [Section 20 Threshold: When Consultation Becomes Compulsory](https://manage.management/blog/section-20-threshold-when-consultation-becomes-compulsory)
2026-10-04 · 12 min read

Learn when the section 20 threshold triggers compulsory leaseholder consultation, how to calculate costs, and what happens if you get it wrong.

## [Property Management Fees UK: How to Know If You Are Overpaying](https://manage.management/blog/property-management-fees-uk-how-to-know-if-you-are-overpaying)
2026-09-25 · 10 min read

Property management fees UK can cost far more than the headline rate suggests. Learn how to spot hidden charges and find out if you are overpaying.

## [Service Charge Software UK: Manage.Management vs Competitors](https://manage.management/blog/service-charge-software-uk-manage-management-vs-competitors)
2026-09-20 · 11 min read

Service charge software UK compared: Manage.Management vs Resident, Dwellant, Blocks Online, and more — find the right fit for your block in 2026.

## [Section 20 Works: A Leaseholder's Guide to Major Works Consultation](https://manage.management/blog/section-20-works-a-leaseholder-s-guide-to-major-works-consultation)
2026-09-12 · 9 min read

Section 20 consultation explained: when major works require leaseholder consultation, the notices to expect, how to respond, and what happens if the process goes wrong.

## [What Is a Section 20 Notice and When Does It Apply?](https://manage.management/blog/what-is-a-section-20-notice-and-when-does-it-apply)
2026-09-11 · 9 min read

A practical England-focused guide to Section 20 consultation: when it applies, the £250 and £100 thresholds, the notice process, dispensation and how resident directors can keep an auditable record.

## [Service Charge Arrears: What Happens and How to Prevent Them](https://manage.management/blog/service-charge-arrears-what-happens-and-how-to-prevent-them)
2026-09-09 · 10 min read

Service charge arrears can put a whole leasehold block under pressure. Understand the legal position in England and Wales, how to respond fairly, and the practical systems that help prevent late payments.

## [How Service Charge Budgets Are Set and What Leaseholders Can Do if They Have Questions](https://manage.management/blog/how-service-charge-budgets-are-set-and-what-leaseholders-can-do-if-they-have-questions)
2026-09-07 · 9 min read

Understand how your service charge budget is set, what the law requires, and the practical steps you can take if the figures look wrong.

## [Service Charge Disputes: How to Challenge an Unreasonable Bill](https://manage.management/blog/service-charge-disputes-how-to-challenge-an-unreasonable-bill)
2026-08-30 · 9 min read

A service charge dispute doesn't have to be overwhelming. Learn your legal rights, how to gather evidence, and how to challenge an unreasonable bill.

## [RICS Service Charge Code: What the New Standards Mean for Your Block](https://manage.management/blog/rics-service-charge-code-what-the-new-standards-mean-for-your-block)
2026-08-28 · 10 min read

The RICS Service Charge Code has shaped how service charges are managed in residential leasehold buildings for over two decades. Its latest edition raises…

## [Managing Agent Fees Explained: What You Pay and What You Should Expect](https://manage.management/blog/managing-agent-fees-explained-what-you-pay-and-what-you-should-expect)
2026-08-25 · 13 min read

If you own a leasehold flat, you've almost certainly seen a line on your service charge statement labelled "management fee" or "managing agent fees." 

## [How Manage.Management Handles Service Charge Billing and Tracking](https://manage.management/blog/how-manage-management-handles-service-charge-billing-and-tracking)
2026-08-24 · 7 min read

Service charge disputes are one of the most common flashpoints in leasehold buildings. Directors send out demand letters, leaseholders question the figures,…

## [What Is a Service Charge? A Complete Guide for Flat Owners](https://manage.management/blog/what-is-a-service-charge-a-complete-guide-for-flat-owners)
2026-08-20 · 8 min read

If you own a leasehold flat, you will have heard the term "service charge" — and you may already have strong feelings about it. For many flat owners, they…

## [Decoding the £12.7 Billion Residential Market: Insights from the 2026 TPI Service Charge Index](https://manage.management/blog/decoding-the-gbp12-7-billion-residential-market-insights-from-the-2026-tpi-service-charge-index)
2026-05-28 · 8 min read

Across England's 4.9 million leasehold dwellings, service charges total £12.7 billion annually. The 2026 TPI Service Charge Index reveals what this means for the 56% of leaseholders who own their homes, the growing PRS sector, and property managers navigating rising compliance costs.

## [RICS Service Charge Code 2026: What It Means for You](https://manage.management/blog/the-new-rules-of-building-management-what-the-rics-service-charge-code-means-for-leaseholders)
2026-03-19 · 9 min read

The landscape of residential building management in England just changed, permanently. On 7 April 2026, the RICS Service Charge Residential Management Code (4th Edition) comes into force, approved by the Secretary of State under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993.