Setting up the right to manage
Taking over management
The right to manage company formally takes over management from the landlord on the acquisition date. This will be either:
- the date given in the notice of claim, if the landlord has not disputed the claim (this must be at least 3 months after the deadline for a counter-notice)
- 3 months after a final determination by the tribunal, if the landlord disputed the claim and the tribunal’s decision was in favour of the right to manage company
- 3 months after the date when the landlord agreed to the claim in writing, if they originally disputed the claim
Management responsibilities
On the acquisition date, the right to manage company takes over all the management for the building.
The landlord’s obligations in the lease, and those of any third party with management responsibilities, will become the responsibility of the right to manage company. The landlord is not permitted to carry out any function that the right to manage company has the power to do, without the agreement of the company.
The management responsibilities will be set out in the leases. They will usually include:
- day-to-day management of the building
- repairs and maintenance for the structure of the building and common parts
- arranging buildings insurance
- budgeting, accounting and collecting service charges
- meeting legal requirements such as building safety
The right to manage company is also responsible for:
What is not included
The following things remain the responsibility of the landlord, not the right to manage company:
- management of any non-residential parts of the building, such as shops or office space
- management of any non-qualifying flats, where the landlord owns and lets flats in the building that are not on long leases
- procedures for ending a lease (forfeiture and possession)
- lease extensions
If there is more than 1 block of flats in a development, the right to manage for a block does not include the wider shared estate and its facilities.
If there are non-qualifying flats owned by the landlord, the right to manage company can recover the landlord’s share of the costs of repairs and maintenance for the building. This is based on the proportion of floor area of the non-qualifying flats.
The landlord is still responsible for the landlord’s covenants in the lease outside the general duties of management, for example, for providing quiet enjoyment and rights of support of the flats.
Find out more
For more information on management responsibilities, see our guide on running a right to manage company.
- Last updated:
- 16 December 2025
- Next review:
- 16 December 2027
Related content
About the right to manage, eligibility criteria and steps to set it up
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