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18 month rule

Karen B owns a flat in Hackney. She received an invoice from her freeholder for £580, for work which was carried out in September 2011. Ms B had heard that she shouldn’t pay for work that was done more than two years ago, so she submitted an enquiry to LEASE.

A LEASE adviser emailed back to explain the 18 month rule – ‘Under Section 20B of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, a landlord has 18 months within which to notify you of service charge costs being incurred or demand payment from you. If they fail to either notify you or demand payment within 18 months they will not be able to recover the charges from you.’

Ms B said, ‘Thank you for all your assistance. The information that LEASE gave to me was easy to understand, concise and totally relevant. I was able to use this and quickly resolve an issue which had been going on for ages’.


More information you might find useful:

LEASE is governed by a board, appointed as individuals by the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.