Current redress system

However, a single enquiry or complaint can result in being faced with a wide range of potential options in order to achieve what, from a leaseholder perspective, should often be a fairly straightforward outcome.

A. Complaints organisations

If a leaseholder feels that their property is being managed poorly, they can initially complain to the property manager directly. If this does not resolve the matter, they can escalate to the relevant redress organisation that the property manager is a member of.

Managing agents in England are required by law to belong to a government-approved redress scheme. There are 3 main property redress organisations that deal with leaseholder complaints. Managing agents can choose whether to sign up to The Property Ombudsman or Property Redress, while social landlords belong to the Housing Ombudsman (see note 1).

In practice, there will be occasions where an agent will not have signed up to a redress provider. In these circumstances, agents should be reported through Citizens Advice or National Trading Standards. Further, some properties are managed without an agent, for example directly by a private landlord or right to manage (RTM) company. This route will not be available to those leaseholders.

When a case is raised with an Ombudsman or redress scheme, they can decide whether a managing agent has provided bad customer service or whether they have failed to carry out their responsibilities. If they find the complaint proven they can then direct a member (the property manager) to change their practices, issue an apology or provide compensation for financial loss or distress as a result of the agent’s actions.

There are a number of other Ombudsmen in this space whose remit allows them to address specific issues, such as the Financial Ombudsman, which can help resolve disputes relating to financial products tied to leasehold properties, or the New Homes Ombudsman, which deals with issues relating to new build homes, such as mis-selling and snagging.

Read more about accessing complaints organisations.

B. National and local authorities

If a leaseholder has an issue with the management of their property that relates to building safety or fire safety, then there are several national and local authorities they can approach directly:

• the local council’s private sector housing team, who are responsible for assessment and enforcement in cases of health and safety risks
• the Building Safety Regulator, which is responsible for assessment and enforcement in cases of building safety risks of higher risk buildings
• the local fire safety authority for assessment of and enforcement in cases of fire safety risks

Additionally, local councils may have further teams which leaseholders can approach directly with specific complaints, such as local building control, or to which a redress organisation can refer a case, such as local trading standards.

We also know that leaseholders often raise fire safety complaints with their local councillors or MPs. In the English Housing Survey 2023-2024, complaints to local councillors outnumbered complaints made to the 3 main redress schemes combined.

Read more about fire safety.

C. Legal services

Leaseholders can also explore specialised legal advice from solicitors, although this can be costly.

There are other forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) available to leaseholders, beyond redress, such as mediation (where an impartial third party, often barristers, surveyors or accountants, supports leaseholders in finding a solution to their disagreement) or early neutral evaluation (where an independent person is appointed to provide a non-binding opinion on the merits of the parties’ cases).

ADR has the benefits of attempting to resolve an issue without the need for more formal legal intervention and as it is voluntary does not preclude the right to go to court or tribunal in future if necessary.

Read more about ADR.

D. Courts and tribunal services

Alternatively, some issues require submission to the courts and tribunal service. The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) is an independent body that resolves disputes between landlords, tenants, leaseholders, freeholders, and park home residents in England. It offers a less formal, expert-driven, and often faster alternative to county courts for property matters, making decisions based on evidence from both sides to achieve fair outcomes.

The tribunal can oversee issues such as service charges, administration charges, the appointment of a manager and breach of lease covenant. Some applications require a fee and there is a fee for a hearing. Leaseholders can apply for help paying the fee if they are receiving certain benefits or on a low income.

The County Court is a civil court that deals with legal claims relating to leasehold housing disputes, among other issues. It is more formal than the First-tier Tribunal and is used when enforcement of a legal right or judgment is needed, where compensation or debt recovery is required or when time limits or complexity make tribunal proceedings inappropriate.

Costs vary and can be significantly higher than a tribunal case. Additional fees may apply if a hearing is required. A leaseholder is responsible for their own legal costs and likely the landlords’ too (depending on the terms of the lease). There are options on cost management and pro-bono legal representation, but these are limited.

Read more information on the courts and tribunals.

E. Police and criminal justice system

If there is evidence of criminal wrongdoing, such as fraud or criminal harassment, then this should be reported to the police.

1. The Housing Ombudsman allows private landlords to join voluntarily; as of March 2025 it had 109 voluntary members (representing 19,000 households). Tenancy type and percentage of leasehold households is not clear from the information available online.