Self-Managed Block Support
Self-management works, until the thing it does not cover turns up. This is about knowing which of those things you are exposed to.
Self-Management Is a Legitimate Choice
Plenty of small blocks are run perfectly well by their own leaseholders, and for a block of eight or twelve flats a full management appointment can genuinely cost more than it returns. We would rather say that than sell a service that does not fit.
What tends to go wrong is not the day-to-day. It is the statutory obligations that only surface occasionally: consultation on major works, the fire safety regime, the company's filing deadlines, and the accounting rules for money held on trust.
The Four Things That Catch Self-Managed Blocks Out
Section 20 consultation, because the recoverable contribution is capped at £250 per leaseholder for qualifying works if it is not carried out properly, however much the work actually cost.
Fire safety, because the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 imposed duties on buildings over 11 metres that a volunteer director has no reason to know about.
Company filing, because a company that stops filing gets struck off and its assets pass to the Crown.
Client money, because service charge funds are held on trust under section 42 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 and have to be held in a separate account, not in a director's personal one.
What Partial Support Looks Like
Not every block that needs help needs a full appointment. Admin-only management covers the financial and administrative work while the directors keep the day-to-day, which suits a board that is willing but does not want the accounting or the filing.
Where a one-off is what is needed, a health and safety risk assessment, a Section 20 consultation run properly, or a year's company secretarial work can be taken on their own.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Health and safety risk assessment, below 11 metres | £198.00 |
| Company secretary, up to 10 units | £180.00 |
| Section 20 management fee | 4 to 10% of total project cost, or £180.00 |
Taken from our published Additional Services price list, PBM Form #01-27 rev.6, effective 23 June 2025. All fees quoted are inclusive of VAT.
Where We Do This
From our Plymouth office, across Devon, Cornwall and the wider South West. Each area page sets out the authority, the fire and rescue service and the local building stock.
Common Questions
Can a Block Be Self-Managed Legally?
Yes. There is no requirement to appoint a managing agent. The obligations in the lease and in statute fall on the landlord or the management company whoever carries out the work, which is the point worth understanding before deciding.
What Is Admin-Only Management?
The financial and administrative half of the job: budgeting, service charge demands and collection, accounts, and the company administration, while the directors retain the day-to-day management of the building. It suits boards that are willing and available but do not want the accounting burden.
We Are a Small Block. Is an Agent Worth It?
Often not, and we will say so. A block of eight or twelve flats with no lift, no communal heating and no on-site staff can be well run by its own directors with occasional professional support. Where there is plant, a lift, a fire strategy or a reserve fund of any size, the calculation changes.
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