Section 24: What are your chances of getting a Tribunal-appointed manager?

Leaks remain unresolved. Repairs are repeatedly postponed. Service charges arrive, but explanations do not. If this sounds familiar, you may be considering a Section 24 application to appoint an independent manager for your building.

Can it succeed? Yes, but there is no automatic entitlement simply because you are unhappy with your managing agent. A persuasive application explains what has gone wrong, proves it with evidence, and shows how an appropriate manager would put things right.

Is there a Section 24 success rate?

We have not identified reliable published national statistics showing the percentage of Section 24 applications that succeed. Selected Tribunal decisions cannot provide a dependable percentage: they include initial appointments, renewals, replacement-manager applications and procedural decisions.

Be cautious about anyone promising a particular chance of winning without reviewing your lease, evidence and proposed management arrangements. The useful question is: does your case satisfy the legal requirements, and is the proposed solution workable?

What does the Tribunal need to decide?

Section 24 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 allows the Tribunal to appoint a manager where statutory grounds are established. These include breaches of management obligations under the lease, unreasonable service charges, certain unreasonable or prohibited administration charges, and failure to follow an approved management code. There is also a ground covering other circumstances making an appointment just and convenient.

The Tribunal must be satisfied that the appointment is "just and convenient" in all the circumstances. Identifying a breach therefore does not automatically secure an appointment. Explain why independent management is an appropriate response to the problems.

What makes a more persuasive application?

The following are practical preparation pointers, rather than a scoring system or prediction of the outcome.

1. Specific failures, supported by records

Replace "the building is badly managed" with a clear account of particular problems. Identify the relevant lease obligation, what happened, when it was reported and what remains outstanding.

For example, a recurring roof leak may be supported by dated photographs, correspondence, a surveyor's report and the lease clause identifying who is responsible for roof repairs. Distinguish facts you can prove from suspicions.

For disputed charges, identify the particular expenditure and why you say it is unreasonable. A high bill alone does not explain whether the services or works were reasonably priced or necessary.

2. A properly prepared Section 22 notice

Before applying, you normally need to serve a formal preliminary notice under Section 22 on the landlord and any other person who owes you management obligations under your tenancy.

The notice must identify your intended application, the grounds and the matters relied on. Where problems can be remedied, it must specify the steps required and allow a reasonable period to take them. There is no universal deadline suitable for every defect.

An ordinary complaint email should not be assumed to satisfy these requirements. Keep the notice and evidence of service. The Tribunal can dispense with service where it is not reasonably practicable, but this requires an order; urgency alone should not be treated as automatic permission to skip it. For more detail, see our guide to Section 22 notices.

3. A suitable manager who is willing to act

Finding the proposed manager is a central part of preparing the case. The current English application form requires a named individual, rather than only a company name.

Agree the proposed manager's involvement early. Prepare evidence of their experience, willingness to act, insurance, proposed fees and management arrangements. Read the Tribunal's practice statement and comply with the directions in your particular case.

4. A realistic plan for improving the building

As a practical matter, the proposed plan should address the actual problems: obtaining records, checking insurance and compliance, prioritising repairs, preparing a budget and explaining how work will be funded.

Replacing the manager does not make overdue repairs free. A building that has been neglected may need increased contributions to fund necessary work. Promise a credible recovery plan, rather than guaranteed savings.

What can weaken a case?

Common preparation weaknesses include unsupported allegations, failure to connect complaints to legal grounds, defects in the preliminary notice, a poorly prepared manager proposal and missed Tribunal deadlines.

Explain the current position fairly. If the landlord has completed repairs or introduced new management, address that evidence and explain why an appointment is still needed. Personal disagreements alone are a less useful presentation than a documented account of how the building is being managed.

What published decisions teach leaseholders

None of the examples below is a successful first application; each is included for the practical lesson it offers.

Can one leaseholder apply?

Yes. You can apply on your own or with other leaseholders; Section 24 does not require the same participation threshold as Right to Manage. Eligibility and statutory exclusions still need checking, including certain public-sector landlords and some resident-landlord conversions.

The appointed manager is responsible to the Tribunal and operates under its order. You do not acquire the freehold or gain an unrestricted right to instruct or dismiss that manager. When the order ends, management normally returns to the landlord unless another lawful arrangement is in place.

What about costs and building safety?

Budget for Tribunal fees, any legal or expert advice, and the ongoing cost of management and repairs. Do not assume the case is risk-free. The application form allows you to request protection against the landlord passing litigation costs through service charges or administration charges; such protection is not automatic.

For higher-risk buildings, Section 24 contains specific restrictions concerning Building Safety Act obligations. A management order is not a substitute for checking the accountable person's responsibilities. These cases need specialist advice about the proposed order's scope.

Start with a review of your documents

East Valley offers a free initial document review to assess whether we would be willing to act as the proposed Tribunal-appointed manager. Send your lease, a short chronology, key correspondence, photographs or reports, and any Section 22 notice or Tribunal directions already received.

1. Free initial document review. We assess whether we would be willing to act as the proposed manager.
2. Proposed manager's pack - £300 one-off. If we agree to proceed, this includes our manager's statement, management plan and proposed budget. It does not include preparing your entire application bundle or hearing representation.
3. Ongoing management. Our usual annual block management fee applies, plus a £1,000 annual surcharge for the duration of the Tribunal appointment. We confirm our proposed total annual fee before you proceed; appointment and remuneration remain subject to the Tribunal's order. Tribunal or hearing attendance is quoted separately.

See our Section 24 Tribunal-appointed manager service and our usual management fees.

A free review does not commit us to accepting an appointment or guarantee a successful application.

This guide concerns applications in England and provides general information, not advice on an individual case. Research checked 3 October 2026.