---
title: "Spreadsheets vs Block Management Software for a Small RMC"
url: https://manage.management/blog/spreadsheets-vs-block-management-software-for-a-small-rmc
description: "Spreadsheets vs block management software for a small RMC: legal must-haves, where spreadsheets fail and published prices for a 10-flat block (Nov 2026)."
author: "Franklin Baeza"
published: 2026-11-11T06:33:09.000Z
updated: 2026-11-11T07:37:37Z
categories: ["Software & Tools","Service Charges"]
publisher: Manage.Management
language: en-GB
---

# Spreadsheets vs Block Management Software for a Small RMC

Spreadsheets vs block management software for a small RMC: legal must-haves, where spreadsheets fail and published prices for a 10-flat block (Nov 2026).

For a small RMC, a spreadsheet costs nothing if the directors already use Excel or Google Sheets, while dedicated software for a 10-flat block costs from £180 a year on LevyBoard to £1,728 a year on Brocade Professional, based on prices published on 11 November 2026. A spreadsheet can work for a very small block with one careful director, but it does not check the legal rules for you. Every service charge demand still needs the statutory summary of rights under section 21B of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the landlord's name and address under section 47 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, or the charge is not yet payable.

This guide compares the two approaches for a residents' management company of four to 20 flats: what a spreadsheet has to do, where it usually breaks, and what software costs. It is written by Manage.Management, the UK block management platform for RTM and RMC directors, leaseholders and managing agents. We sell one of the tools compared, so every competitor price below was read from that vendor's own pricing page on the day of publication.

## Key takeaways

- A spreadsheet is free and flexible, and it can be enough for a block of up to about six flats with simple, annual service charges.
- The legal risks are in the paperwork: demands without the section 21B summary can be withheld, and demands without a section 47 name and address are not yet due.
- Costs incurred more than 18 months before a demand can be lost under section 20B, which is easy to miss without reminders.
- Published software prices for a 10-flat block range from £180 a year to £1,728 a year, and Manage.Management charges 3% of service charge collected with no monthly fee.
- From 1 November 2027, service charge demands, accounts and annual reports must follow prescribed forms, so spreadsheet templates will need rebuilding.

## Can a small RMC run its service charge on a spreadsheet?

Yes. No law requires an RMC to use software, and many small blocks run well on a shared spreadsheet, a bank account and a folder of templates. The law sets what the demands and accounts must contain, not the tool used to produce them.

A spreadsheet works best when the block is small, leaseholders pay once or twice a year, there are few contractors and one director is happy to keep it up to date. It struggles when the block has several cost schedules, a reserve fund, major works under Section 20, frequent arrears or directors who change every year.

## What must a spreadsheet system get right?

It must produce compliant demands, hold the money on trust, bill costs on time and keep records you can show leaseholders. Those duties apply whether the block uses a spreadsheet, software or a managing agent.

1. **Summary of rights with every demand.** [Section 21B(1)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/70/section/21B) says a demand "must be accompanied by a summary of the rights and obligations of tenants". Under section 21B(3), a leaseholder may withhold payment until it is provided.
2. **Name and address on every demand.** Under [section 47 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1987/31/section/47), a demand without the landlord's name and address means the service charge is "treated for all purposes as not being due" until the information is given.
3. **Money held on trust.** [Section 42 of the 1987 Act](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1987/31/section/42) requires service charge money to be held on trust for the costs it was collected for. In practice, keep it in a separate bank account, not mixed with company funds.
4. **The 18-month rule.** Costs incurred more than 18 months before they are demanded may be unrecoverable unless leaseholders were told in writing. Our guide to [the section 20B 18-month rule](https://manage.management/blog/section-20b-the-18-month-rule-on-late-service-charge-demands) explains how to stay inside it.
5. **Section 20 consultation.** Works costing any one leaseholder more than £250, or long-term agreements costing more than £100 a year each, need consultation before the cost can be recovered in full.
6. **Year-end accounts.** Leaseholders need a clear statement of what was spent against the budget. Our guide to [preparing service charge accounts](https://manage.management/blog/service-charge-accounts-how-to-prepare-them-right) sets out what to include.

## Where do spreadsheets usually go wrong?

The problems are rarely the sums. They come from missing paperwork, lost history and one person holding everything.

- **Templates drift.** A demand template copied from last year may lose the summary of rights or show an old registered office address.
- **No reminders.** A spreadsheet does not warn you when an invoice is 15 months old or a fire risk assessment review is due.
- **Key person risk.** When the director who built the spreadsheet resigns or sells their flat, the knowledge often leaves with them.
- **No audit trail.** It is hard to show who changed a figure and when, which matters if a leaseholder challenges a charge at the First-tier Tribunal.
- **Personal data.** Spreadsheets with names, emails and arrears are easy to forward or leave on a personal laptop.
- **Manual chasing.** Arrears letters, bank reconciliation and receipts all depend on a volunteer finding the time.

## What does block management software cost for a small RMC?

Published prices for a 10-flat block start at £180 a year and reach £1,728 a year for the plans that include service charge demands. Manage.Management's price depends on the service charge collected rather than the number of flats.

Prices checked 11 November 2026, from each vendor's own pricing page.

| Option | Published price | Cost for a 10-flat block, per year | Who it suits |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Spreadsheet (Excel or Google Sheets) | No software fee if directors already have it | £0, plus director time | Very small blocks with one organised director and simple annual charges |
| LevyBoard | £15 a month up to 15 flats; £25 a month for 16 to 40 flats; no setup fee; VAT not stated | £180 | Small RMCs that want demands, arrears and Section 20 at a low flat fee |
| Marklet Management | £2.49 per unit a month on annual billing, minimum £490 a year; free plan available; not VAT registered | £490 (the minimum) | Self-managed RMC and RTM boards that want demands, Section 20 and a maintenance plan |
| Brocade Professional | £99 a month plus £4.50 per unit; annual billing saves 15% | £1,728 before the annual discount | Blocks that want building safety tools alongside service charges |
| Manage.Management Self-managed | 3% of service charge collected; £0 monthly fee; blocks of 4 or more flats; no setup fees | £720, assuming £2,400 per flat a year | RMCs that want payments collected, demands, meetings and votes in one place |

The prices come from [LevyBoard's pricing page](https://levyboard.co.uk/pricing), [Marklet's pricing page](https://marklet.io/pricing), [Brocade's pricing page](https://brocade.app/pricing) and [Manage.Management's pricing page](https://manage.management/pricing). The £2,400 assumption matches the £6.00 per flat per month shown by default in our pricing calculator. A block with a lower service charge pays less on our plan, and one with a higher charge pays more.

The comparison is not like-for-like. Manage.Management's 3% includes collecting payments by card, Apple Pay and Pay by Bank, with the service charge settling to the building's own account, while the software-only plans leave collection and bank reconciliation to the directors. For the wider market, see our [published UK prices for self-managed block software](https://manage.management/blog/self-managed-block-software-published-uk-prices-compared-2026) and our explainer on [what block management software costs in the UK](https://manage.management/blog/how-much-does-block-management-software-cost-in-the-uk).

## When should an RMC move from a spreadsheet to software?

Move when the time and risk cost more than the subscription. For most RMCs, that point arrives once the block passes about six flats, starts major works or loses the director who ran the spreadsheet.

Signs it is time to switch:

1. A demand has gone out without the summary of rights or the correct address.
2. Arrears are being chased by hand and take more than an hour a month.
3. The block has more than one cost schedule, a reserve fund or a Section 20 project coming up.
4. Leaseholders are asking for documents that take days to find.
5. A director is stepping down and nobody else understands the spreadsheet.
6. The board wants to prepare for prescribed demand forms and annual reports from 1 November 2027.

Most tools, including LevyBoard, Marklet and Brocade, offer a free trial or free plan, and several import spreadsheets. Manage.Management's [service charge tools](https://manage.management/features/service-charges) cover budgets, demands and unit ledgers. Our [comparison of Marklet, Brocade, Resident and Manage.Management](https://manage.management/blog/marklet-vs-brocade-vs-resident-vs-manage-management-for-rtm-and-rmc-directors) looks at the main options in more detail.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is it legal for an RMC to use a spreadsheet for service charges?

Yes. There is no legal requirement for a residents' management company to use block management software. What the law controls is the content of demands, how the money is held and when costs are billed. A spreadsheet system is lawful if every demand includes the section 21B summary of rights and the section 47 name and address, money is held on trust, and costs are billed within 18 months.

### What is the cheapest block management software for a small RMC?

On prices published on 11 November 2026, LevyBoard is the lowest at £15 a month for up to 15 flats, which is £180 a year. Marklet has a free plan, and its Management plan, which includes service charge demands, costs a minimum of £490 a year. Manage.Management charges 3% of service charge collected with no monthly fee, so its cost depends on the size of the service charge.

### Can I import my existing spreadsheet into block management software?

Usually, yes. LevyBoard's pricing page lists spreadsheet import with column mapping, and most platforms let you upload a list of flats, leaseholders and opening balances. Before switching, tidy the spreadsheet so each flat has one row with its lease percentage, contact details and current balance. Keep a dated copy of the old file as part of the company's records.

### Does block management software make the RMC's demands compliant automatically?

Only partly. Good software attaches the statutory summary of rights and the company's name and address to every demand, but directors still need to set the right budget, apportion costs under the lease and bill within 18 months. From 1 November 2027, demands must follow a prescribed form, so ask any vendor how and when it will update its templates.

### Should a small RMC appoint a managing agent instead?

It depends on the time and skills on the board. A managing agent handles demands, collection, contractors and compliance for a management fee, usually charged per flat, on top of the block's running costs. A self-managed RMC with software keeps control and usually pays less, but the directors carry the work. Many small blocks start self-managed and appoint an agent only when the workload grows.

## Spreadsheet or software: the short answer

A spreadsheet is a sensible starting point for a very small RMC with simple charges and a careful director. Once the block grows, takes on major works or changes directors, the legal paperwork and chasing are where spreadsheets fail, and a low-cost tool usually pays for itself. Compare total cost, including collection and director time, before you decide.

Last reviewed: 11 November 2026 by Franklin Baeza, Manage.Management. This article is general information for England and Wales, not legal advice. Check the current position with a qualified adviser before acting.

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Source: [Spreadsheets vs Block Management Software for a Small RMC](https://manage.management/blog/spreadsheets-vs-block-management-software-for-a-small-rmc) on the Manage.Management blog.