Service Charges in Property Management

This course equips you with vital legal and practical knowledge covering the latest thinking, practice and policies impacting service charges for commercial, residential, and mixed use property. It tackles real problems that arise time and time again in drafting leases and in day-to-day management and brings you up to date with current best practice. The course helps those working in property to avoid the many pitfalls which can complicate workloads around the entitlements and responsibilities of owners and occupiers.

Course Context & Aims

While freeholders and intermediary landlords want to generate income from their properties, substantial costs relate to ownership and occupation. Service charges reflect the owner’s right to recover these costs from occupiers and require a carefully considered, up-to-date legal drafting which obliges occupiers to pay. To complicate matters, in multi-occupied buildings:  

• Costs need to be apportioned between occupiers, and some space may at any given time be vacant. 
• Where occasional substantial costs occur – such as for largescale repairs or where legislative changes necessitate improvements to common facilities – the costs passed on should be fair and reasonable. They must be consistent with the legal boundaries set by leases and, for residential property, reflect the legislative framework between present and future tenants. 

The law is not silent on the rights and duties of landlords and tenants, and there are statutory rules and codes of practice to take into account. Meanwhile, owners may not own the property forever, so how is transfer of ownership to be dealt with? 

On completion of this course, you will know what to do, when, why and how. You will be equipped with the knowledge and expertise to avoid the many traps waiting for the unwary.

An Introduction from the Course Leaders

• Derek Bruce, Associate Professor, Kingston University
• Richard Webber, Partner and Head of Property Disputes, RLS Law

“Service charge provisions are a common fact of life for landlords and tenants in multi-occupied properties and estates. The changing landscape – with better informed and more financially aware tenants, professional regulation, diminishing commercial lease terms which are no longer fully amortising, and ongoing legislative intervention – all make for a challenging property management landscape for those involved with service charges.

Our in-depth briefings in February will appraise both the legal and practical issues commonly encountered. The course is ideal for property managers, managing agents, residents' companies and lawyers responsible for drafting and negotiating leases. We will include:

• The law and policy framework
• Practical interpretation for both commercial and residential real estate
• Problem-solving
• Contractual and statutory processes
• Lease drafting tips
• Key obstacles and pitfalls to avoid and resolve”

Online CPD with the HS Property Hub

• No important area will be overlooked – all interpretation will be practical and relevant to real-world market conditions using illustrative examples.
• Four 70-minutes briefings.

Pricing and How to Register

Fees for the 4-part course: £299 + VAT. Click here to book your place.

Course Overview

Session 1: The Legal Landscape of Service Charges
Session 2: Practicalities of Running Service Charge Accounts - Part 1
Session 3: Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 ("Section 20") and the Attendant Regulations
Session 4: Practicalities of Running Service Charge Accounts - Part 2

For a full breakdown of each session please click here.