Who Is Responsible for Repairs in a Block of Flats? A Guide for Managing Agents and RTM Companies
A leak comes through a top-floor ceiling. A communal door closer breaks. A resident reports a crack in the brickwork outside their window. Before anyone can fix anything, someone has to answer the same question: whose job is this?
In a block of flats, the answer isn't always obvious. Responsibility can sit with the leaseholder, the freeholder, a right to manage (RTM) company, a residents' management company (RMC) or the managing agent acting for them. If a tenant is renting a flat from a leaseholder, their landlord or letting agent gets involved too. When nobody is sure, repairs stall, residents get frustrated and small problems become expensive ones.
This guide sets out how responsibility usually splits, and how managing agents and RTM directors can keep repairs moving.
Start with the lease
For long leasehold flats, the lease is the rulebook. It sets out what each leaseholder owns, what the landlord (or the RTM company or RMC) must repair, and how the costs are recovered through the service charge.
Leases vary a lot, especially between older conversions and newer purpose-built blocks, so always check the actual lease for the building rather than relying on a general rule. Pay particular attention to the definitions of "the demised premises" (the flat itself) and "the retained parts" or "common parts". Windows, front doors, balconies and ceiling voids are the usual grey areas.
What leaseholders usually repair
In most leases, the leaseholder is responsible for the inside of their own flat. That typically includes:
Internal walls, plaster and ceilings within the flat
Floor coverings, kitchens, bathrooms and fittings
Pipes, wiring and appliances that serve only their flat
Internal doors, and often the inside face of the front door
If water is coming from a leaseholder's washing machine or a pipe that serves only their flat, the repair is normally theirs, even if the damage shows up in the flat below.
What the freeholder, RTM company or RMC usually repairs
The landlord side usually looks after anything structural or shared:
The roof, foundations, external walls and main structure
Communal areas such as hallways, stairwells, lifts, entrances and bin stores
Shared pipes, drains, gutters and electrical supplies
Communal lighting, door entry systems and fire safety equipment in the common parts
Car parks, paths and grounds
These costs are normally shared between leaseholders through the service charge, in the proportions the lease sets out.
Where an RTM company has taken over management, it steps into the landlord's management role, including repairs to the structure and common parts. In blocks run by an RMC, the RMC usually holds those duties under the lease. Either way, the day-to-day work is often handed to a managing agent.
Where renters fit in
Many flats are let out by their leaseholders. A tenant renting a flat on an assured shorthold tenancy should report repairs to their own landlord or letting agent, not to the managing agent. Their landlord then has legal repairing duties for the flat, and if the problem is in the structure or common parts, they pass it on to the managing agent.
In practice, this chain is where reports get lost. A clear route for letting agents to report building-level issues, and a quick acknowledgement when they do, saves a lot of chasing.
When the cost is high: Section 20
If planned works will cost any one leaseholder more than £250, the landlord side normally has to follow the Section 20 consultation process under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 before the work goes ahead. That means formal notices, a chance for leaseholders to comment and, usually, more than one quote.
Skipping consultation can limit how much can be recovered through the service charge, so it's worth flagging possible Section 20 works early, while there's still time to do it properly.
Five habits that keep repairs moving
Knowing who is responsible is half the job. The other half is making sure the right person actually acts. These habits help:
Triage every report the same day. Decide quickly whether it's a leaseholder issue, a building issue or not yet clear, and tell the person who reported it.
Get photos first. A couple of photos often answers the "whose is it?" question before anyone visits, and helps contractors quote accurately.
Keep a simple responsibility guide for each building. A one-page summary of the lease (windows, doors, balconies, pipes) stops the same debate happening every time.
Arrange access properly. Many building repairs need access through a flat or a locked plant room. Agree times with residents in writing and confirm the day before.
Close the loop. Update the resident, the leaseholder and the client when the work is booked and again when it's done, with photos of the finished repair.
How ProLink helps
ProLink is an outsourced property operations team based in Manchester, covering the UK. We work behind the scenes for managing agents, RTM and RMC companies and landlords, logging repair reports, getting photos and quotes, coordinating contractors, arranging access with residents and keeping everyone updated through to completion.
You stay in control of decisions and approvals. We take care of the chasing.
If repairs in your buildings are getting stuck between residents, contractors and inboxes, take a look at our services or request a quote.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Responsibilities in each building depend on its lease, so check the lease or take professional advice for specific cases.
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