Section 20 consultation checklist for major works: from the first notice to the contract

A Section 20 consultation is two notices, two waiting periods and a file. The ones that fail at the tribunal mostly fail on a small step: a second notice with no summary of observations, a reasons letter never sent. This list follows one job of qualifying works in England, where no public notice is needed, from the first test of the cost to the demand that follows the works. It is written for the property manager running the consultation for a landlord or a residents' management company. Use one list for each job, tick each step as it is done, and write the date beside the tick.

Free tool

Section 20 major works checklist

Tick each step as it is done. The ticks are kept in this browser only, so you can come back to the list; nothing is sent anywhere.

Before the first notice

Find the largest single share under the leases and test the works cost against £250 Run the test on the cost including VAT Read each share from the lease, schedule by schedule, not from last year's spreadsheet Contract of more than 12 months: test it against £100 a year for any one leaseholder Check whether the contract must be advertised under the public procurement rules Count back from the start date: allow more than 60 days from first notice to contract Works that cannot wait 60 days: apply to the tribunal for dispensation on form Leasehold 5 Building safety defect in a relevant building: add the steps taken to recover the cost from others

Stage 1: the notice of intention

Send the notice of intention to every leaseholder and any recognised tenants' association Describe the works in general terms, or say where and when a description can be inspected State the reasons the works are considered necessary Invite written observations and contractor nominations within 30 days, and say where to send them Diary the last day for observations, counting the date of the notice as day one

Between the two notices

Answer every observation in writing and keep the observation with the reply Try to obtain an estimate from any contractor a leaseholder or the association nominated Obtain at least two estimates, one from a contractor wholly unconnected with the landlord Change of agent during the consultation: get every notice, observation and reply from the old agent

Stage 2: the statement of estimates

Send every leaseholder the statement of estimates free of charge Put the summary of observations and your responses in the statement Make all the estimates available for inspection and say where observations are to be sent Invite observations on the estimates within a further 30 days and diary the last day

The contract and the notice of reasons

Read the observations on the estimates before the contract is signed, and record that you did Contractor is neither a nominee nor the lowest estimate: send reasons within 21 days of the contract Close the file: proof of service, each notice, observations, replies, estimates and the contract date

After the works: the demand

Demand the cost with the summary of rights and the landlord's name and address Check each works invoice against the 18-month limit before the demand goes out

Copy what is left Print the list Clear the ticks

A working list, not a certificate and not advice: the rule behind each step, with its source, is set out below.

Works in your browser. Nothing you type leaves this device.

Before the first notice

Find the largest single share under the leases and test the works cost against £250. Consultation is needed where any one leaseholder's contribution would be more than £250. The test is the largest share, not the average. On a £48,000 roof across 24 equal shares, skipping it caps recovery at £6,000 and leaves £42,000 with the client. Source: Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 20; Service Charges (Consultation Requirements) (England) Regulations 2003, regulation 6. The working is in Section 20 checker.

Run the test on the cost including VAT. The threshold figures are inclusive of VAT, because that is what the leaseholder pays. A job that sits under the line before VAT can be over it once VAT is added. Source: 2003 Regulations, regulation 6. The working is in Section 20 checker.

Read each share from the lease, schedule by schedule, not from last year's spreadsheet. Many leases split costs into parts, so a ground-floor flat may pay nothing towards the lift. At a largest share of 4.5% the works cost that triggers consultation is £5,555.56; at 10% it is £2,500. Source: The leases; Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 20. The working is in Service charge apportionment calculator.

Contract of more than 12 months: test it against £100 a year for any one leaseholder. A qualifying long-term agreement is one for more than twelve months, and consultation is needed where any leaseholder would pay more than £100 in an accounting year. It follows Schedule 1, with a notice of proposals in place of the statement of estimates. Source: 2003 Regulations, regulation 4 and Schedule 1. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Check whether the contract must be advertised under the public procurement rules. Where public notice is required, Schedules 2 and 3 apply and the sequence changes, because the public notice replaces the nomination stage. Most private blocks never meet those rules; local authority and housing association landlords do. Source: 2003 Regulations, Schedules 2 and 3. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Count back from the start date: allow more than 60 days from first notice to contract. Two periods of 30 days make 60 days the minimum from the first notice to a signed contract. In practice it is longer, because observations need a written answer and estimates have to be obtained. A roof due before winter needs its first notice in summer. Source: 2003 Regulations, regulation 2 and Schedule 4 Part 2. The working is in Section 20 checker.

Works that cannot wait 60 days: apply to the tribunal for dispensation on form Leasehold 5. The application under section 20ZA costs £200 to issue and £300 more if a hearing is listed. The test is what the leaseholders lost by not being consulted, so do as much of the consultation as time allows and write to every leaseholder the same day. Source: Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 20ZA; First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) fees from 13 July 2026. The working is in Section 20 dispensation.

Building safety defect in a relevant building: add the steps taken to recover the cost from others. Since 1 April 2023, where works remedy a relevant defect in a relevant building under the Building Safety Act 2022, the notice must also describe the steps the landlord has taken to recover the cost from other parties. Source: Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, sections 20D and 20ZA(5A). The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Stage 1: the notice of intention

Send the notice of intention to every leaseholder and any recognised tenants' association. The regulations require written notice to each tenant and to the association. Proof of service on every one of them is part of the file a tribunal decides the case on, often years later. Source: 2003 Regulations, Schedule 4 Part 2. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Describe the works in general terms, or say where and when a description can be inspected. This is the first thing the Schedule requires the notice to contain. A notice that names the job but gives no description, and no place and time to inspect one, falls short of it. Source: 2003 Regulations, Schedule 4 Part 2. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

State the reasons the works are considered necessary. The notice must state the landlord's reasons for considering the works necessary. A sentence from the surveyor's report, with its date, does it and gives leaseholders something to respond to. Source: 2003 Regulations, Schedule 4 Part 2. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Invite written observations and contractor nominations within 30 days, and say where to send them. The notice must invite observations within the relevant period, say where they are to be sent, and invite each leaseholder to propose a person from whom the landlord should try to obtain an estimate. Source: 2003 Regulations, Schedule 4 Part 2. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Diary the last day for observations, counting the date of the notice as day one. The relevant period is 30 days beginning with the date of the notice. A notice dated 6 October 2026 closes for observations on 4 November, not 5 November. Source: 2003 Regulations, regulation 2. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Between the two notices

Answer every observation in writing and keep the observation with the reply. The landlord must have regard to the observations received, and the second notice must summarise them with the landlord's response. A missing summary is one of the points leaseholders raise at the tribunal years later. Source: 2003 Regulations, Schedule 4 Part 2. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Try to obtain an estimate from any contractor a leaseholder or the association nominated. The landlord must try to obtain an estimate from a person nominated by the association, and from one nominated by leaseholders under the Schedule's rules for choosing between several nominations. Source: 2003 Regulations, Schedule 4 Part 2. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Obtain at least two estimates, one from a contractor wholly unconnected with the landlord. The regulations require at least two estimates, and at least one of them must come from a person wholly unconnected with the landlord. Two quotes from companies connected with the landlord do not meet it. Source: 2003 Regulations, Schedule 4 Part 2. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Change of agent during the consultation: get every notice, observation and reply from the old agent. A change of agent does not pause the two 30-day periods, each started by a dated notice. The incoming agent should collect the file for any consultation in progress in the first month. Source: 2003 Regulations, regulation 2; RICS Service Charge Residential Management Code, 4th edition. The working is in Taking over a block from another managing agent.

Stage 2: the statement of estimates

Send every leaseholder the statement of estimates free of charge. The statement must set out, for at least two of the estimates, the amount specified as the estimated cost. It goes to each leaseholder and the association at no charge. Source: 2003 Regulations, Schedule 4 Part 2. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Put the summary of observations and your responses in the statement. The statement must carry a summary of the observations received on the first notice and the landlord's response to them. If none were received, say so, so the file shows the point was dealt with. Source: 2003 Regulations, Schedule 4 Part 2. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Make all the estimates available for inspection and say where observations are to be sent. All the estimates, not only the two summarised in the statement, must be made available for inspection. The notice must also say where written observations on the estimates are to be sent. Source: 2003 Regulations, Schedule 4 Part 2. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Invite observations on the estimates within a further 30 days and diary the last day. The second period is 30 days beginning with the date of that notice. A statement issued on 5 November 2026 closes on 4 December, and the earliest lawful contract date is 5 December. Source: 2003 Regulations, regulation 2 and Schedule 4 Part 2. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

The contract and the notice of reasons

Read the observations on the estimates before the contract is signed, and record that you did. The landlord must have regard to observations on the estimates. A dated note of what was received and what was decided is the evidence, because tribunals decide these cases on the paper. Source: 2003 Regulations, Schedule 4 Part 2. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Contractor is neither a nominee nor the lowest estimate: send reasons within 21 days of the contract. Within 21 days of entering into the contract the landlord must give each leaseholder and the association written reasons for the award, or say where a statement of reasons can be inspected, and must summarise the observations received and respond to them. Source: 2003 Regulations, Schedule 4 Part 2. The working is in The Section 20 consultation process, stage by stage, with what each notice must say.

Close the file: proof of service, each notice, observations, replies, estimates and the contract date. Without consultation or dispensation each leaseholder's contribution is capped at £250, and the rest of the bill stays with the landlord or RMC. The file is what shows the requirements were met. Source: Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 20(1). The working is in Section 20 checker.

After the works: the demand

Demand the cost with the summary of rights and the landlord's name and address. Without the prescribed summary the leaseholder may withhold the charge. Without the landlord's name and address, or an address in England and Wales for notices, the sum is treated as not due until the demand is served again correctly. Source: Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 21B; Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, sections 47 and 48. The working is in Service charge demand checker.

Check each works invoice against the 18-month limit before the demand goes out. A cost incurred more than 18 months before the demand is not recoverable unless the leaseholder was told in writing, within the 18 months, that it had been incurred and a contribution would be required. A section 20B(2) letter protects it. Source: Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 20B. The working is in When are service charge accounts due? A calendar from the year end, with the 18-month clock.

How to use the list

Keep the finished list on the consultation file with the notices and the proof of service, dated. If a step did not apply, such as the reasons notice where the lowest estimate won, tick it and note why. When the demand for the works is questioned, often years later, the list shows the order things were done in and where each document is. If a step was missed, leave it unticked and look at dispensation while the facts are fresh.

A ticked list is a record that the steps were done, not proof that each was done properly. The list covers the points our guides and the official pages named above set out; it is not every duty a firm has. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Overlyft sets up AI assistants for block and property managers: they prepare drafts for a person to approve. They do not tick off any of these steps for you, and you can do every one without them.