Choosing to buy the freehold title of your property may prove too costly or lengthy, which is why you may consider taking over the management responsibilities of the property from the freeholder instead. While this won’t grant you all of the benefits of owning the freehold, it will give you and your fellow leaseholders more control over the common areas of your property through a process known as Right to Manage.
Right to Manage
In short
Right to Manage lets leaseholders take over the day-to-day management of their building from the freeholder, without having to buy the freehold itself. It’s a legal right under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, and it can be a faster, cheaper route to more control than full enfranchisement. Call 08082747557 for a free initial assessment.
What Right to Manage gives you
Exercising your Right to Manage hands day-to-day management — things like choosing contractors, arranging maintenance, and managing the building’s budget — to a company set up and run by the leaseholders themselves, rather than the freeholder or their appointed managing agent. Because leaseholders understand the building and live with the consequences of poor maintenance directly, this often means more responsive management and higher standards than an external managing agent might deliver.
What Right to Manage doesn’t change
Unlike buying the freehold through leasehold enfranchisement, Right to Manage doesn’t transfer ownership of the building, and it doesn’t increase your property’s value in the way owning the freehold can. The freeholder still retains a legal interest in the building and, in most cases, a say in management decisions and voting rights in the Right to Manage company. It’s also worth being realistic that running a Right to Manage company means one or more leaseholders taking on real administrative responsibility, which can itself become a source of disagreement between neighbours if it isn’t shared out fairly.
Thinking about taking over management of your building? Call 08082747557 before you start the process.
Setting up a Right to Manage company
To exercise Right to Manage, leaseholders typically need to set up a dedicated Right to Manage company, meet the qualifying criteria under the Act, and follow the correct notice procedure to the freeholder. There are setup and ongoing running costs to factor in, so it’s worth talking to a property solicitor before committing, to understand whether it’s genuinely the right option compared with buying the freehold outright.
Related Services
- Buy the freehold with other leaseholders instead Leasehold Enfranchisements
- Extend the lease on your flat Leasehold Extensions
- Understand your position as a leasehold owner Leasehold Properties
- Get general advice on a housing dispute Housing Disputes