When you need to pay administration charges

The summary of rights and obligations which must accompany a demand for the payment of an administration charge must be legible in a typewritten or printed form of at least 10 point, and must contain—

a. the title “Administration Charges – Summary of tenants’ rights and obligations”; and

b. the following statement—

1. This summary, which briefly sets out your rights and obligations in relation to administration charges, must by law accompany a demand for administration charges. Unless a summary is sent to you with a demand, you may withhold the administration charge. The summary does not give a full interpretation of the law and if you are in any doubt about your rights and obligations you should seek independent advice.

2. An administration charge is an amount which may be payable by you as part of or in addition to the rent directly or indirectly—

• for or in connection with the grant of an approval under your lease, or an application for such approval;
• for or in connection with the provision of information or documents;
• in respect of your failure to make any payment due under your lease; or
• in connection with a breach of a covenant or condition of your lease.

If you are liable to pay an administration charge, it is payable only to the extent that the amount is reasonable.

3. Any provision contained in a grant of a lease under the right to buy under the Housing Act 1985, which claims to allow the landlord to charge a sum for consent or approval, is void.

4. You have the right to ask the First-tier Tribunal whether an administration charge is payable. You may make a request before or after you have paid the administration charge. If the tribunal determines the charge is payable, the tribunal may also determine—

• who should pay the administration charge and who it should be paid to;
• the amount;
• the date it should be paid by; and
• how it should be paid.

However, you do not have this right where—

• a matter has been agreed to or admitted by you;
• a matter has been, or is to be, referred to arbitration or has been determined by arbitration and you agreed to go to arbitration after the disagreement about the administration charge arose; or
• a matter has been decided by a court.

5. You have the right to apply to the First-tier Tribunal for an order varying the lease on the grounds that any administration charge specified in the lease, or any formula specified in the lease for calculating an administration charge is unreasonable.

6. Where you seek a determination or order from the First-tier Tribunal, you will have to pay an application fee and, where the matter proceeds to an oral hearing, a hearing fee, unless you qualify for fee remission or exemption. Making such an application may incur additional costs, such as professional fees, which you may have to pay.

7. The First-tier Tribunal and the Upper Tribunal (in determining an appeal against a decision of the First-tier Tribunal) have the power to award costs in accordance with Section 29 of the Tribunal, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.

8. Your lease may give your landlord a right of re-entry or forfeiture where you have failed to pay charges which are properly due under the lease. However, to exercise this right, the landlord must meet all the legal requirements and obtain a court order. A court order will only be granted if you have admitted you are liable to pay the amount or it is finally determined by a court, a tribunal or by arbitration that the amount is due. The court has a wide discretion in granting such an order and it will take into account all the circumstances of the case.

The summary of rights and obligations which must accompany a demand for the payment of an administration charge must be legible in a typewritten or printed form of at least 10 point, and must be set out with the following title and text:

Taliadau Gweinyddol – Crynodeb o hawliau a rhwymedigaethau tenantiaid / Administration Charges – Summary of tenants’ rights and obligations

(1) Rhaid yn ôl y gyfraith i’r crynodeb hwn, sy’n gosod yn gryno eich hawliau a’ch rhwymedigaethau mewn cysylltiad â thaliadau gweinyddol, fynd gyda galwad am daliadau gweinyddol. Oni fydd crynodeb yn cael ei anfon atoch gyda’r alwad i dalu, gellwch ddal y taliad gweinyddol yn ôl. Nid yw’r crynodeb yn rhoi dehongliad llawn o’r gyfraith ac os ydych mewn unrhyw amheuaeth ynglyn a’ch hawliau a’ch rhwymedigaethau dylech geisio cyngor annibynnol.

(2) Taliad gweinyddol yw swm a all fod yn daladwy gennych fel rhan o’ch rhent yn uniongyrchol neu’n anuniongyrchol neu’n ychwanegol ato—

• ar gyfer rhoi cymeradwyaeth dan les neu mewn cysylltiad â hynny;
• ar gyfer darparu gwybodaeth neu ddogfennau neu mewn cysylltiad â hynny;
• mewn cyslltiad â’ch methiant i wneud unrhyw daliad dyledus o dan eich les; neu
• mewn cysylltiad â thorri cyfamod neu amod yn eich les.

Os ydych yn atebol i dalu taliad gweinyddol, nid yw’n daladwy ond i’r graddau y mae’r swm yn rhesymol.

(3) Mae unrhyw ddarpariaeth a gynhwysir mewn dogfen yn rhoi les o dan yr hawl i brynu dan Ddeddf Tai 1985 sy’n honni gadael i’r landlord godi swm am ganiatâd neu gymeradwyaeth, yn ddi-rym.

(4) Mae gennych hawl i ofyn i dribiwnlys prisio lesddaliadau a yw taliad gweinyddol yn daladwy. Gellwch ofyn naill ai cyn neu ar ôl i chi dalu’r tâl gweinyddol. Os yw’r tribiwnlys prisio’n penderfynu fod y tâl yn daladwy fe all y bydd y tribiwnlys hefyd yn penderfynu—

• pwy ddylai dalu’r tâl gweinyddol ac i bwy y dylid ei dalu;
• y swm;
• y dyddiad y
• daw’n daladwy; a
• sut y dylid ei dalu.

Nid oes gennych yr hawl hwn fodd bynnag—

• pan fyddwch wedi cytuno ar fater neu wedi cyfaddef iddo;
• pan fydd mater wedi cael ei gyfeirio i gymrodedd, neu y bydd yn cael ei gyfeirio felly, neu pan fydd wedi cael ei benderfynu drwy gymrodedd a’ch bod chi wedi cytuno i fynd i gymrodedd ar ôl i’r anghytundeb ynglyn â’r tâl gweinyddol godi; neu
• pan fydd llys wedi penderfynu ar fater.

(5) Mae gennych hawl i wneud cais i dribiwnlys prisio lesddaliadau am orchymyn yn amrywio’r les ar y sail fod unrhyw daliad gweinyddol a bennir yn y les, neu unrhyw fformiwla a bennir yn y les ar gyfer cyfrifo taliad gweinyddol, yn afresymol.

(6) Pan fyddwch yn ceisio penderfyniad neu orchymyn gan dribiwnlys prisio lesddaliadau bydd rhaid i chi dalu ffi ar gyfer gwneud cais, ac os bydd y mater yn mynd ymlaen am wrandawiad, ffi gwrandawiad, oni fyddwch yn gymwys i gael hepgor neu ostwng y ffi. Ni fydd cyfanswm y ffioedd taladwy i’r tribiwnlys yn fwy na £500, ond gall costau ychwanegol, megis ffioedd proffesiynol, ddeillio o wneud cais, a dichon mai chi fydd raid eu talu.

(7) Mae gan dribiwnlys prisio lesddaliadau y pwer i ddyfarnu costau, heb fod yn uwch na £500, yn erbyn parti mewn unrhyw achos—

• pan fydd yn gwrthod mater oherwydd ei fod yn wacsaw, yn flinderus neu’n gamddefnydd o’r broses gyfreithiol; neu
• pan fydd o’r farn fod parti wedi gweithredu’n wacsaw, yn flinderus, yn ddifrïol, yn stwrllyd neu’n afresymol.

Mae gan y Tribiwnlys Tiroedd bwerau cyffelyb pan fydd yn clywed apêl yn erbyn penderfyniad gan dribiwnlys prisio lesddaliadau.

(8) Efallai bod eich les yn rhoi hawl i’ch landlord ail-feddiannu neu gymryd yn fforffed os ydych wedi methu talu taliadau sy’n briodol ddyledus o dan y les. I arfer yr hawl hwn fodd bynnag rhaid i’r landlord gwrdd â’r holl ofynion cyfreithiol a sicrhau gorchymyn llys. Dim ond os byddwch wedi cyfaddef eich bod yn atebol i dalu’r swm, neu os bydd llys, tribiwnlys, neu broses gymrodeddu wedi dyfarnu’n derfynol fod y swm yn ddyledus y rhoddir gorchymyn llys. Mae gan y llys ddisgresiwn eang wrth roi gorchymyn o’r fath a bydd yn cymryd ystyriaeth o holl amgylchiadau’r achos.

(1) This summary, which briefly sets out your rights and obligations in relation to administration charges, must by law accompany a demand for administration charges. Unless a summary is sent to you with a demand, you may withhold the administration charge. The summary does not give a full interpretation of the law and if you are in any doubt about your rights and obligations you should seek independent advice.

(2) An administration charge is an amount which may be payable by you as part of or in addition to the rent directly or indirectly—

• for or in connection with the grant of an approval under your lease, or an application for such approval;
• for or in connection with the provision of information or documents;
• in respect of your failure to make any payment due under your lease; or
• in connection with a breach of a covenant or condition of your lease.

If you are liable to pay an administration charge, it is payable only to the extent that the amount is reasonable.

(3) Any provision contained in a grant of a lease under the right to buy under the Housing Act 1985, which claims to allow the landlord to charge a sum for consent or approval, is void.

(4) You have the right to ask a leasehold valuation tribunal whether an administration charge is payable. You may make a request before or after you have paid the administration charge. If the tribunal determines the charge is payable, the tribunal may also determine—

• who should pay the administration charge and to whom it should be paid;
• the amount;
• the date it should be paid by; and
• how it should be paid.

However, you do not have this right where—

• a matter has been agreed or admitted by you;
• a matter has been, or is to be, referred to arbitration or has been determined by arbitration and you agreed to go to arbitration after the disagreement about the administration charge arose; or
• a matter has been decided by a court.

(5) You have the right to apply to a leasehold valuation tribunal for an order varying the lease on the grounds that any administration charge specified in the lease, or any formula specified in the lease for calculating an administration charge, is unreasonable.

(6) Where you seek a determination or order from a leasehold valuation tribunal, you will have to pay an application fee and, where the matter proceeds to a hearing, a hearing fee, unless you qualify for a waiver or reduction. The total fees payable to the tribunal will not exceed £500, but making an application may incur additional costs, such as professional fees, which you may have to pay.

(7) A leasehold valuation tribunal has the power to award costs, not exceeding £500, against a party to any proceedings where—

• it dismisses a matter because it is frivolous, vexatious or an abuse of process; or
• it considers that a party has acted frivolously, vexatiously, abusively, disruptively or unreasonably.

The Lands Tribunal has similar powers when hearing an appeal against a decision of a leasehold valuation tribunal.

(8) Your lease may give your landlord a right of re-entry or forfeiture where you have failed to pay charges which are properly due under the lease. However, to exercise this right, the landlord must meet all the legal requirements and obtain a court order. A court order will only be granted if you have admitted you are liable to pay the amount or it is finally determined by a court, a tribunal or by arbitration that the amount is due. The court has a wide discretion in granting such an order and it will take into account all the circumstances of the case.