Management Company Granted Permission to Skip Consultation for Urgent Repairs

OUTCOME: Allowed

© CROWN COPYRIGHT

FIRST-TIER TRIBUNAL PROPERTY CHAMBER (RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY) Case reference : LON/00BF/LDC/2025/0928 Property : [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE] Applicant : [redacted] (Camberley) [APPELLANT]. Respondent : [redacted] Type of application : For dispensation from statutory consultation - Section 20ZA Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 Tribunal member(s) : [NAME] of determination : 5 February 2026

DECISION

Decision of the Tribunal I grant the application for dispensation from statutory consultation in respect of the qualifying works. The application 1. The applicant, [NAME] ([APPELLANT]., is the management company for the property. The property is a purpose-built block of 6 flats located on [ADDRESS] in Carshalton.

2. The application, dated 5 November 2025, seeks a determination pursuant to section 20ZA of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (“The Act”) dispensing with statutory consultation in respect of qualifying works. At the time of that application, those works had already been carried out.

2 3. Directions were issued by the Tribunal on 3 December 2025. Amongst other things, those directions provided that the applicant was to serve copies of the application form and the Tribunal’s directions upon the respondents, to display a copy of the Tribunal’s directions in the common parts of the property and to provide any replies to the Tribunal’s directions received by them from the respondents (or confirm that there was none).

4. The applicant confirmed, in an email dated 17 December 2025 from [APPELLANT] (an employee of the applicant’s managing agent), that the documents referred to in the Tribunal’s directions had been served upon the respondents and displayed at the property. In their bundle, as directed, the applicant also provided confirmation that the applicant had not received any objections to the application from the respondents. Similarly, the Tribunal has not received any reply forms (which were provided for in the directions in this matter) nor any other submissions from any objecting party.

5. The Tribunal considered that a paper determination of the application was appropriate, the applicant indicated that they were content for this to happen in their application and no objections were received from any respondents. I agree, and I have therefore determined this matter on the basis of the papers provided to me without a hearing.

6. I did not inspect the subject property as it was not necessary to do so to determine the present application.

The Qualifying Works

7. The works consisted of urgent roof repairs following several leaks to top floor flats. The works were completed by [NAME] on 3 July 2025 and came to a total cost of £4,080 (including VAT). Decision and Reasons 8. Section 20ZA(1) of the Act provides: Where an application is made to the appropriate tribunal for a determination to dispense with all or any of the consultation requirements in relation to any qualifying works or qualifying long term agreement, the tribunal may make the determination if satisfied that it is reasonable to dispense with the requirements.

3 9. The applicant’s case is that the works were required urgently to repair the roof, which was causing several leaks to top floor flats. No representations have been received that dispute this.

10. No leaseholder or other interested party has indicated their objection to the application at all. It is therefore trite to note that no leaseholder or other interested party has identified any prejudice that might be, or has been, suffered by them as a result of the failure to consult. Similarly, I have not identified any clear prejudice that the leaseholders or any other interested parties have suffered, or might suffer, in the absence of any such representations from them.

11. In light of the above, I consider it reasonable to grant the application for dispensation from statutory consultation. No conditions on the grant of dispensation are appropriate and I therefore make none.

12. This decision does not affect the Tribunal’s jurisdiction upon an application to make a determination under section 27A of the Act in respect of the reasonable and payable costs of the works, should this be disputed by any leaseholder. Name: Mr [NAME]: 5 February 2026

4 Rights of appeal

By rule 36(2) of the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Property Chamber) Rules 2013, the tribunal is required to notify the parties about any right of appeal they may have. If a party wishes to appeal this decision to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber), then a written application for permission must be made to the First- tier Tribunal at the regional office which has been dealing with the case. The application for permission to appeal must arrive at the regional office within 28 days after the tribunal sends written reasons for the decision to the person making the application. If the application is not made within the 28-day time limit, such application must include a request for an extension of time and the reason for not complying with the 28-day time limit; the tribunal will then look at such reason(s) and decide whether to allow the application for permission to appeal to proceed, despite not being within the time limit. The application for permission to appeal must identify the decision of the tribunal to which it relates (i.e. give the date, the property and the case number), state the grounds of appeal and state the result the party making the application is seeking. If the tribunal refuses to grant permission to appeal, a further application for permission may be made to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).