Right to Manage Explained: When Should Leaseholders Take Control of Their Building?
Most leaseholders do not think about Right to Manage until something starts going wrong.
Service charges may feel unclear.
Repairs may take too long.
Communication may become frustrating.
Residents may feel as though they have little say in how their own building is being run.
Over time, that lack of control can become one of the biggest frustrations of living in a leasehold block.
Right to Manage gives qualifying leaseholders a legal route to take over the management responsibilities for their building without having to prove that the landlord or current managing agent has done anything wrong.
For many leaseholders, it can be a powerful way to regain control, improve standards, and make sure their building is managed with greater care and accountability.
What Is Right to Manage?
Right to Manage, often shortened to RTM, allows leaseholders of qualifying flats to take over the management of their building from the landlord.
This does not mean buying the freehold.
The landlord still owns the freehold, but the day-to-day management responsibilities transfer to a Right to Manage company set up by the leaseholders.
These responsibilities can include areas such as:
- maintenance of communal areas
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- repairs and contractor management
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- building insurance arrangements
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- service charge budgeting
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- health and safety compliance
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- long-term maintenance planning
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- communication with residents and leaseholders
The RTM company can then choose whether to manage the building itself or appoint a professional managing agent to handle the work on its behalf.
For many leaseholders, appointing an experienced block management company is the most practical option, as the legal, financial and maintenance responsibilities can quickly become time-consuming.
Why Do Leaseholders Choose Right to Manage?
Leaseholders usually consider Right to Manage because they want more control over how their building is looked after.
In some cases, the issue may be poor communication. In others, it may be delayed repairs, rising costs, weak contractor oversight or a general feeling that the building is not being managed proactively.
Common reasons leaseholders explore RTM include:
- slow responses to maintenance issues
- unclear service charge spending
- poor communication from the current managing agent
- repeated delays with repairs
- concerns over contractor quality
- lack of preventative maintenance
- frustration with building standards
- wanting more say over long-term decisions
Importantly, leaseholders do not have to prove bad management to use Right to Manage.
That means RTM can be an option even where the building is being managed reasonably well, but leaseholders simply want more influence over decisions and future standards.
Signs Your Current Managing Agent May Not Be Working
- residents constantly chasing for updates
- repairs being reported but not resolved
- unclear or unexplained service charge increases
- poor record keeping
- contractors attending without proper follow-up
- communal areas declining in condition
- health and safety matters being overlooked
- residents feeling ignored or dismissed
Good block management should feel organised, responsive and transparent. When leaseholders start to feel that they are doing more chasing than the managing agent is doing managing, it may be time to look at other options.
What Responsibilities Come With Right to Manage?
Right to Manage can give leaseholders more control, but it also comes with responsibility.
Once management transfers to the RTM company, the building still needs to be managed properly. Maintenance must be arranged, budgets must be handled, service charges must be collected, contractors must be supervised, and legal obligations must be met.
This can include:
- arranging building repairs
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- managing communal cleaning and maintenance
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- setting and collecting service charges
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- handling accounts and budgets
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- managing insurance
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- ensuring health and safety compliance
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- dealing with leaseholder queries
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- planning major works
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- overseeing contractors
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- keeping proper company records
This is why many RTM companies choose to appoint a professional managing agent.
The leaseholders remain in control, but the practical day-to-day management is handled by people who understand residential block management, compliance, maintenance planning and leasehold responsibilities.
Do You Need a Leasehold Advisor?
- multiple leaseholders
- mixed-use buildings
- commercial units
- difficult service charge histories
- existing disputes
- unclear lease terms
- major works concerns
- questions over eligibility
Getting the right guidance early can prevent mistakes and help leaseholders make a more informed decision. It can also help residents understand whether Right to Manage is the best option, or whether another route may be more suitable.
Right to Manage vs Changing Managing Agent
Right to Manage and changing managing agent are not always the same thing.
In some buildings, leaseholders may already have a residents’ management company or some existing control over appointing the managing agent. In those cases, changing managing agent may be relatively straightforward.
In other buildings, the landlord or freeholder may currently control the management. If leaseholders want to take that control away from the landlord, Right to Manage may be the route they need to consider.
The key difference is control.
Changing managing agent replaces the company carrying out the management.
Right to Manage changes who has the legal right to control the management.
Once an RTM company is in place, leaseholders can appoint a managing agent that better reflects the needs of the building and its residents.
Why Professional Block Management Still Matters After RTM
- service charge budgeting
- maintenance planning
- contractor sourcing
- resident communication
- compliance checks
- major works coordination
- financial reporting
- leaseholder queries
- long-term building care
This gives leaseholders more control without expecting them to become full-time property managers. The best arrangement is often a balance: leaseholders make key decisions, while the managing agent handles the professional day-to-day management.
How Right to Manage Can Improve a Building
- clearer communication
- better maintenance standards
- more transparent service charge decisions
- stronger contractor accountability
- improved long-term planning
- greater leaseholder involvement
- better resident confidence
The biggest benefit is often not one single change. It is the shift from feeling ignored to feeling involved. When leaseholders have more say over how their building is managed, decisions often become more practical, more transparent and more closely aligned with what residents actually need.
Is Right to Manage Always the Best Option?
- Does the building qualify?
- Are enough leaseholders willing to participate?
- Who will become directors of the RTM company?
- What are the current management problems?
- What would improve after RTM?
- Would a professional managing agent be appointed?
- Are leaseholders ready for the responsibility?
Right to Manage works best when leaseholders are organised, realistic and supported by the right professional advice.
How Plymouth Block Management Can Help
For leaseholders considering Right to Manage, professional guidance can make the process feel far less daunting.
Plymouth Block Management supports leaseholders, RTM companies, freeholders and residents’ management companies with practical, proactive block management services across Plymouth and the wider South West.
From communication and maintenance planning to contractor oversight and long-term property care, having an experienced managing agent in place can help leaseholders take control without becoming overwhelmed by the day-to-day responsibilities.
For RTM companies, the aim is simple: give leaseholders a stronger voice while ensuring the building continues to be managed professionally, responsibly and transparently.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Right to Manage mean?
Right to Manage allows qualifying leaseholders to take over the management responsibilities for their building from the landlord, without buying the freehold.
Do leaseholders have to prove bad management?
No. Leaseholders do not usually need to prove poor management in order to use Right to Manage, provided the building and leaseholders meet the eligibility requirements.
Can an RTM company appoint a managing agent?
Yes. An RTM company can appoint a professional managing agent to handle day-to-day block management responsibilities.
Is Right to Manage the same as buying the freehold?
No. Right to Manage transfers management responsibilities, but the landlord still owns the freehold.
Why use a leasehold advisor?
A leasehold advisor can help leaseholders understand eligibility, responsibilities, process requirements and whether RTM is the right route for their building.
Final Thoughts
Right to Manage can be a valuable option for leaseholders who want greater control over how their building is run.
It can help improve communication, transparency, maintenance standards and long-term planning, especially where residents feel disconnected from the current management arrangements.
However, it is also a serious responsibility.
The best outcomes usually happen when leaseholders are properly advised, well organised and supported by an experienced block management company.
For leaseholders in Plymouth and across the South West, Plymouth Block Management can provide the practical management support needed to help RTM companies move forward with confidence.
