Every year, thousands of leaseholders across the UK open an envelope, see a major works bill for tens of thousands of pounds, and simply pay it. We know that feeling. We were those leaseholders once. What most people don’t realise — and what we’ve spent years helping people understand — is that a huge proportion of these bills are inflated, and you have every legal right to challenge them.
This guide walks you through exactly how to challenge a Section 20 major works bill in 2025, step by step, whether you’ve just received a notice or the works have already been done.
What Is a Section 20 Major Works Bill?
Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires your freeholder or managing agent to consult you before carrying out major works that will cost any individual leaseholder more than £250. This consultation process is meant to protect you — to ensure works are competitively tendered, fairly priced, and properly explained.
When it works properly, it’s a genuine safeguard. When it doesn’t — and in our experience, it often doesn’t — leaseholders end up paying over the odds for work that was never properly tendered, never independently checked, and in some cases never even needed.
Step 1: Check Whether Proper Consultation Happened
Before anything else, you need to establish whether your freeholder followed the Section 20 consultation process correctly. The law requires two specific notices:
- Notice of Intention (NOI): Informing leaseholders of the proposed works and inviting nominations of contractors
- Notice of Proposal (NOP): Sharing at least two competitive quotes and inviting observations within 30 days
If either notice was missing, improperly served, or didn’t give you enough time to respond, your freeholder may have breached Section 20. In that case, their ability to recover more than £250 per leaseholder from the service charge may be severely limited — unless they got dispensation from the First-tier Tribunal.
Step 2: Get an Independent Cost Assessment
Even if the consultation was done correctly, that doesn’t mean the prices are fair. A properly-run tender process can still produce inflated quotes if the contractors are connected to the managing agent, or if the specification is padded out to justify a higher fee.
This is where we come in. As qualified surveyors, we compare every line item in your bill against current UK market rates — the same rates used on large commercial construction projects. In 71% of the bills we review, we find the leaseholders are being overcharged. The average overcharge we uncover is £8,400.
An independent cost assessment typically costs a few hundred pounds. If we find your bill is inflated by thousands — which is likely — that’s an obvious investment.
Step 3: Write a Formal Challenge Letter
If your bill is clearly inflated or the consultation was flawed, your next step is a formal challenge letter to your freeholder or managing agent. This should:
- Set out specifically what you believe went wrong (procedural failures, inflated costs, or both)
- Reference the relevant sections of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
- Request a full breakdown of all costs, including contractor invoices
- Invite them to provide a response within a reasonable timeframe (14-21 days)
- Indicate that you will apply to the First-tier Tribunal if the matter isn’t resolved
Many freeholders and managing agents settle at this stage, rather than face tribunal proceedings. We’ve seen bills reduced by 30-50% simply from a well-evidenced formal letter.
Step 4: Apply to the First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber
If your formal challenge is rejected or ignored, you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in England, or the equivalent body in Wales. This is a specialist tribunal that deals with leasehold disputes. You do not need a solicitor, though having a professional report as evidence significantly strengthens your case.
The tribunal can:
- Determine whether service charges are reasonable
- Order that costs be reduced or struck out entirely
- Require the freeholder to pay your legal and expert costs
Application fees are relatively modest — usually £100-£300 — and the process, while not instant, typically concludes within six to twelve months.
Step 5: Use Your Report at Tribunal
A tribunal-ready independent report from a qualified surveyor carries significant weight with the Property Chamber. It demonstrates that you’ve done due diligence, provides a professional benchmark against which to assess the freeholder’s costs, and often prompts the freeholder to settle rather than face the tribunal with their figures exposed.
Our reports are specifically structured to be usable at First-tier Tribunal proceedings. We explain our methodology clearly, compare like-for-like, and give you a defensible number backed by professional expertise.
How Long Does a Challenge Take?
A straightforward negotiated settlement can take as little as six to eight weeks. A full tribunal case typically takes six to twelve months. Neither of these timelines should put you off — especially if your bill is inflated by thousands of pounds. The process works, and it works for leaseholders who have the evidence.
What If the Works Are Already Done?
Many leaseholders assume that once works are completed and billed, it’s too late to challenge. It isn’t. You have up to eighteen months to challenge a service charge under the Limitation Act, and in some circumstances even longer. Don’t assume the window has closed before checking.
Think your bill might be inflated? Get an independent assessment from Section20.org.uk — 48-hour turnaround, fixed fee. Email info@rapidqs.uk, WhatsApp us at +44 7438 628277 (5-minute response guaranteed), or fill in our contact form at section20.org.uk