Questions leaseholders may have

There is no guarantee. Service charges reflect lease obligations and the real cost of managing and maintaining the building. The objective is better oversight and more follow-through, not a promise of lower bills. Any savings would depend on actual contracts, costs and performance.

No. The RTM company can appoint a managing agent. Leaseholder directors govern the company and oversee the agent; they do not need to handle every operational task personally. Directors do have legal and financial responsibilities and should take professional advice.

The statutory test is generally at least half of the flats. Richmond Gate is setting a higher project threshold of 50% plus one: at least 45 participating flats out of 88. The solicitor must confirm which flats qualify and the legal calculation before the claim notice is served.

No. Members own the company membership; directors run and govern the company. The project specifically needs leaseholder directors. Other leaseholders can participate as members without taking a director role.

No prior permission is needed if the statutory eligibility and notice requirements are met. The freeholder may serve a counter-notice disputing entitlement. If that happens, a tribunal may need to decide the claim.

No. RTM transfers management rights. The freeholder remains the owner of the freehold.

The legal process provides for relevant unspent service-charge and reserve funds to be transferred to the RTM company. The handover needs a clear accounting and reconciliation of balances.

Rebbeck Brothers currently manages the building through the freeholder’s arrangement. That means the agent’s instructions and accountability sit with the freeholder, while leaseholders pay the service charges without a leaseholder board directly governing the agent. RTM transfers the relevant management functions to the RTM company, whose directors can set priorities, approve budgets and works within agreed limits, and review delivery. Residents’ examples include the individual car park permits, cleaning concerns and the need to plan maintenance around what benefits the building.

No. RTM requires the management responsibility to move to the RTM company; it does not require the company to choose a new firm. The current freeholder-led appointment cannot simply remain in place unchanged for transferred functions. The RTM company may appoint a new agent or choose to appoint the existing provider under its own new contract. This project proposes Mylako, subject to the RTM company’s due diligence and approval.

Potentially, if the RTM company independently chose to appoint them and agreed a new management contract. In that situation they would report to and take instructions from the RTM company, not continue solely as the freeholder’s agent for functions that have transferred. The current contract does not automatically become the RTM company’s contract.

Mylako has offered practical start-up support and proposed terms, including up to around £5,000 towards initial legal and professional costs and a three-month notice period in the eventual management agreement, subject to written agreement. The proposal is to appoint an agent under the RTM company’s authority, so leaseholder directors can set service standards, spending limits, reporting and review. Mylako’s appointment is not automatic: the directors must assess fees, references, insurance, capacity, conflicts and the full contract before deciding.

No. The case for RTM is about who has the authority to set priorities and hold the managing agent to account. The site describes residents’ reported experiences with permits and cleaning, but it does not make an allegation of unlawful conduct by Rebbeck Brothers or the freeholder.

They should be planned to continue. Before the transfer date, the RTM company and its agent will need to review the service contracts, arrange any new contracts, prepare the budget and service-charge process, confirm emergency cover and make sure buildings insurance is in place. The formal handover and notice requirements will be handled with the solicitor. Essential maintenance and utilities need particular attention.

LEASE guidance says contracts made by the landlord for building management end when management transfers. The RTM company then decides which contractors to appoint or renegotiate with; existing contractors do not have to accept the same terms. The landlord must provide contract information, and the RTM company should plan the change so cleaning, utilities, maintenance and other essential services continue.

There is no promise of a lower charge. The lease still determines what can be charged, and the building’s actual needs determine what work and insurance cost. The aim is better control of priorities, procurement and work quality. A new agent’s fee, insurance arrangements, transition work or overdue maintenance could affect costs, so the RTM company will need a clear budget and like-for-like comparisons.

It could. A freeholder may insure several buildings together, while a single-building RTM company may not have the same buying power. The directors should compare appropriate cover and premiums, ask whether the current policy can continue with the insurer’s agreement, plan the timing, and make sure there is no gap in cover at handover.

The RTM company’s directors should set written authority limits in the management agreement: what the agent can arrange without approval, which spending or works need board approval, how invoices and completion evidence are checked, and what reports and inspections are required. Urgent work and legal duties must still be dealt with promptly within the agreed emergency process.

Relevant service-charge funds held for future costs should be transferred to the RTM company at the handover or as soon as reasonably possible, with a clear reconciliation. The former landlord remains responsible for collecting arrears from before the handover. Ground rent continues to be paid to the freeholder. The solicitor and agent will confirm the Richmond Gate figures and process.

No. The freeholder keeps ownership of the freehold. The RTM company takes over the management functions covered by the law and leases. The landlord has statutory rights in the RTM company, including membership and voting rights subject to the legal rules.

Directors can review the arrangements, set priorities for services under the RTM company’s control, and instruct the agent to investigate options. Whether a specific permit rule or service contract can be changed depends on the relevant contract, lease terms and any third-party rights. RTM creates a direct route to raise and decide these issues; it does not guarantee a particular outcome.

The RTM company remains responsible for management even when it hires an agent. Directors should monitor performance against the contract, use the complaints and escalation process, and follow the notice and handover terms if they decide to change agent. Mylako has offered a three-month notice period, but it will apply only if it is agreed in the written contract.

Directors oversee budgets, service charges, building maintenance, insurance, company records and legal obligations. A managing agent can carry out day-to-day work, but the RTM company remains responsible for checking that the building is managed properly. Directors should use professional advice and agree clear reporting and approval procedures.

Mylako has offered to support start-up administration alongside the leaseholder directors and solicitor, contribute up to around £5,000 towards initial legal and professional costs, and accept a three-month notice period in the eventual management contract. These are proposed terms, subject to written agreement. Leaseholders will lead the RTM company and decide whether to appoint Mylako; the solicitor will advise on and prepare formal notices.

No. Mylako is the proposed managing agent. The RTM company must review due diligence, fees and the contract and make a properly recorded decision.

Several months in the normal route. Timing depends on forming the company, reaching the threshold, serving valid notices and whether the claim is disputed. The exact dates will be confirmed by the solicitor.

Email hello@richmondgatertm.co.uk to register interest. If you are willing to be a director, follow the steps on the Get Involved page. To form the company, a prospective director needs to provide their full name, date of birth, Richmond Gate address, nationality and Companies House personal code after identity verification. Email these details to the project address, not in a public post or form. The leaseholder group will coordinate company formation with the solicitor.

Being a landlord does not automatically stop a leaseholder from qualifying. Eligibility depends on the lease and statutory criteria, so the solicitor will confirm it.