Appointment of a surveyor and management audits
Appendix 1: Tenants’ rights to information
The landlord must provide their name (or company name) and address on all rent and service charge demands. If their address is outside England and Wales they must provide an address within England and Wales at which notices may be served.
If the landlord is a company, they must comply with tenants’ requests for the names and addresses of all the directors and the secretary.
Information about service charges
Where requested by a tenant, or a recognised tenants’ association, the landlord must provide a summary of the costs on which the service charges are based. This must relate to the last accounting year or the 12 months before the tenants’ request.
It must:
- show all costs incurred by the landlord for works and services etc, showing how they are, or will be, reflected in the service charges
- distinguish between items where payment has not been demanded of the landlord, where demands are made but not paid and where the landlord has paid during the period
- state whether any of the costs relate to works in respect to which an improvement grant has been, or will be paid
The summary must be supplied within one month of the request or within six months at the end of the accounting period, whichever is later.
Within six months of receiving the landlord’s summary the tenant or recognised tenants’ association can ask the landlord in writing to see accounts, receipts and other supporting documents. The landlord must provide an opportunity for inspection and copying of the documents for a period of two months beginning within one month of the request. The landlord cannot charge for inspection but can charge for copying. (The landlord is not required to provide the documents to the tenant but make them available at a place convenient to themself, but not necessarily to the tenant.)
These rights also apply to information held by a superior landlord.
Information about insurance
When the service charges include an amount relating to insurance for the building, the tenant or recognised tenants’ association may require from the landlord a written summary of insurance cover. This must include:
- the sum for which the property is insured
- the name of the insurer
- the risks covered by the policy
Within six months of receiving the landlord’s summary the tenant or recognised tenants’ association can ask the landlord in writing to see the insurance policy and any receipts and supporting documents, including evidence of payment of premiums. (Again, the landlord is not required to provide the documents to the tenants but make them available for inspection.)
- Last updated:
- 27 August 2021
- Next review:
- 12 December 2026
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