Types of application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)
Limiting service charges: landlord’s costs
These rights are set out in Section 20C of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
In residential leases it is common for the landlord to include their legal costs of managing the property in the service charge. These costs can include the costs of a court or tribunal action, whether this is started by them or the leaseholder.
Under section 20C of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, you can apply for an order that all or part of your landlord’s costs arising from the tribunal proceedings are not to be included in the service charges.
This means that if you apply to the tribunal for a decision on whether a service charge is reasonable, you can also apply to them to make sure that any reduction you achieve in your service charges will not be cancelled out by your landlord adding their legal costs relating to the tribunal proceedings to the service charges. You can also apply to the tribunal under section 20 for your landlord’s legal costs not to be added to your service charges if your landlord applies to them for a decision on whether a service charge is reasonable.
The tribunal will consider all the evidence you and your landlord provide before making whatever order they consider fair and appropriate in the circumstances.
If the tribunal receives an application under section 20C at the same time as the main application, both applications will be dealt with in the same hearing. If you make a section 20C application after the main proceedings, it may be dealt with by a different tribunal at a separate hearing.
Application Form – Application for an Order Under Section 20C of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
- Last updated:
- 11 May 2025
- Next review:
- 18 December 2026