AllowedFirst-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)·19 November 2020

First-tier Tribunal Sets Reasonable Service Charges for Tenant

Case No.

📌 In brief

In this case, the First-tier Tribunal decided on the reasonable service charges for a tenant's property for two financial years. The charges were set at specific amounts for each year.

⚖️ Legal holding

A tenant is entitled to have their service charges assessed for reasonableness by the Tribunal.

Topics

service chargestenancy disputes

📖 Technical summary

The Tribunal determined the reasonable service charges for the tenant's property for two financial years.

📜 Headnote Official document

The Tribunal determined that the service charges for the tenant's property for the financial years 2017/18 and 2018/19 were reasonable, setting the amounts at £308.65 and £641.84 respectively.

📚 Full judgment Official document

OUTCOME: Allowed

FIRST-TIER TRIBUNAL PROPERTY CHAMBER (RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY) Case reference :

CHI/43UG/LIS/2019/0072 Property :

26, [APPELLANT], Addlestone, [POSTCODE] Applicant: [redacted] [COMPANY] :

[COMPANY] and [RESPONDENT] (referred to herein as [RESPONDENT]) Respondent: [redacted]

[NAME] :

Type of application :

Transferred Proceedings Service and Administration charges and costs Tribunal member(s) : Judge D. Agnew

Date of determination : 9 November 2020

FINAL DETERMINATION

2 Background 1. An interim determination was issued on 5 October 2020 which determined that the service charges sought by the Applicant in respect of the Respondent’s property at 26 [APPELLANT], Addlestone [POSTCODE] were reasonable but the question of whether they were currently payable would await further representations from the Applicant on certain matters raised by the Tribunal.

2. The Applicant’s solicitors made those further representations on 2 November 2020.

3. For the reasons which will be set out in the County Court order which will accompany this determination the Tribunal determines that the service charges payable by the Respondent for 2017/18 are in the sum of £308.65 and for 2018/19 in the sum of £641.84. Dated 9 November 2020 Judge D. Agnew.

APPEALS

1. A person wishing to appeal this decision to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) must seek permission to do so by making written application to the First-tier Tribunal at the Regional office which has been dealing with the case.

2. The application must arrive at the Tribunal within 28 days after the Tribunal sends to the person making the application written reasons for the decision.

3. If the person wishing to appeal does not comply with the 28-day time limit, the person shall include with the application for permission to appeal a request for an extension of time and the reason for not complying with the 28- day time limit; the Tribunal will then decide whether to extend time or not to allow the application for permission to appeal to proceed.

4. The application for permission to appeal must identify the decision of the Tribunal to which it relates, state the grounds of appeal, and state the result the party making the application is seeking Appeals

📊 How courts decide similar cases

Among 12 similar decisions in this collection:

Allowed11 cases

Dismissed1 case

First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Dismisses Tenants' Service Charge Challenge

A snapshot of this collection — not a prediction of your case's outcome.

⚖️ What tends to weigh in cases like this

✅ Tends to be accepted

The Tribunal determined that the service charges sought by the applicant for the respondent's property were reasonable.
The applicant's solicitors provided further representations to the Tribunal on certain matters.
The service charges payable by the respondent for 2017/18 were determined to be £308.65.
The service charges payable by the respondent for 2018/19 were determined to be £641.84.

Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.

❓ Frequently asked questions

What did this decision decide?

It decided the reasonable service charges for a tenant's property for two financial years.

Who was involved?

The tenant and the property management company were involved.

How did the court decide, and why?

The court reviewed the charges and found them reasonable based on the evidence presented.

Which laws or rules were applied?

No specific laws or rules were mentioned in the judgment.

What was the argument that mattered most?

The argument about the reasonableness of the service charges was central to the decision.

Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?

The decision was for the property management company, setting the charges as reasonable.

What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?

Someone in a similar situation should ensure their service charges are reasonable and supported by evidence.

What evidence or documents mattered?

Evidence supporting the reasonableness of the service charges likely included financial records and relevant agreements.

Can a decision like this be appealed?

Yes, a person can appeal this decision to the Upper Tribunal within 28 days of receiving the written reasons.

Is it worth getting a solicitor for a case like this?

It is recommended to seek advice from a qualified solicitor for such cases.

Official source: First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) — headnote and full judgment reproduced from the court's public records. View on the official source ↗Summary, holding, technical summary and questions: produced by Artificial Intelligence based on the official headnote and judgment. These are VadeLab’s own material and are not the work of the Court.This decision was issued by the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) and is reproduced from its published records. VadeLab is not affiliated with, and this page is not endorsed by, that court or tribunal.