Right to Manage in Liverpool: A Guide for Leaseholders

For many leaseholders in Liverpool, managing a shared building can feel like a distant reality and out of their control. However, becoming a Right to Manage (RTM) company offers a straightforward way to change that. By forming a dedicated company, residents can take on management responsibilities that would otherwise sit with the freeholder. This brief Liverpool RTM Guide is designed to help leaseholders understand the opportunities and practicalities involved in exercising their rights.

Under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, qualifying leaseholders can create a Right to Manage company to assume responsibility for the day-to-day running of their block. The role of the company can be extensive, ranging from overseeing repairs, health and safety and legal compliance checks, to the allocation of service charge costs and annual budgets, as well as whether they want to choose a new property managing agent.

Importantly, leaseholders do not need to prove poor performance by the freeholder. If the conditions to set up an RTM are met, the option exists for residents to pursue RTM property management and take a more active role in their community.

To qualify, the building must be largely self-contained, include at least two flats, and have two-thirds of those flats held on long leases. Half or more of the leaseholders must be willing to support the application to become an RTM. Once a company is registered, a formal Notice of Claim is served on the freeholder. If there is no challenge, the new company takes over responsibilities from an agreed date. From that point, leaseholders can either manage directly or, more commonly, appoint a professional partner with experience in residential block management and/or residential estate management.

Liverpool presents an especially diverse picture of buildings where RTM can be an attractive option. Converted Georgian terraces and historic dockside warehouses bring distinctive maintenance challenges. In these settings, leaseholders often want a say in ensuring sympathetic upkeep of character features, and residential property management under RTM allows them to do so.

At the same time, new developments around the Baltic Triangle, Knowledge Quarter and Liverpool Waters provide large blocks of modern apartments with complex service budgets. For these residents, RTM is a management strategy that can improve transparency and ensure funds are spent effectively.

 Suburban areas such as Wavertree and Allerton also include smaller blocks of purpose-built flats, where RTM gives residents the ability to set their own priorities for gardens, parking, or shared spaces.

There are many advantages of pursuing RTM for leaseholders in Liverpool. It places decision-making power in residents’ hands, allowing them to negotiate contracts, choose where to make building improvements and gain greater oversight of finances. Many find that an RTM can deliver good value for money, as leaseholders can choose suppliers and contractors who meet their needs. It also fosters stronger community engagement, as residents collaborate on decisions affecting their homes.

That said, the RTM process and day-to-day requirements carry significant responsibilities that potential RTM Directors need to be fully aware of. Managing a building requires compliance with fire safety, health and safety, and long-term maintenance planning. It also involves running a company, with directors, accounts and legal duties. That’s why many RTM companies choose to work alongside an established property management company with a track record of offering expert resident management company services delivered by locally based property managers working with specialist teams. Professional input ensures that residents benefit from specialist knowledge while retaining overall control.

At Rendall & Rittner, we support RTM leasehold groups and leaseholder-led companies in Liverpool and across the country. With over 90,000 homes under management, we bring experience in tailored property management services, transparent reporting, and responsive customer care. Our teams are well-versed in guiding leaseholders through company formation, governance, and ongoing operational challenges. For those seeking property management in Liverpool, we provide tailored support designed to keep buildings safe, compliant and well-maintained. With Rendall & Rittner’s proven building safety competence we are a trusted partner in keeping residents safe and ensuring RTM companies and their directors are compliant.

The principles behind RTM are relevant nationwide; block management in Manchester or Liverpool is largely the same as block management in London. All buildings face many of the same questions e.g. how to balance cost with quality, how to ensure long-term investment in the fabric of the building, and how to create a management structure that reflects residents’ priorities.

The appeal of the RTM Liverpool option lies in its flexibility. It can suit large new-build towers, smaller suburban blocks or historic conversions, adapting to the character of the city’s property landscape. Whether leaseholders wish to secure more transparent financial oversight, improve customer service or simply have a stronger voice in decisions, RTM offers a clear legal pathway.

If you are considering Right to Manage and would like further information beyond this Liverpool RTM Guide, our team would be happy to offer support on the RTM set-up process and how the role of a highly experienced and trusted property management company like Rendall & Rittner can assist.