How to Find Out Who Manages a Block of Flats
Whether you are a leaseholder trying to report a leak, a buyer doing due diligence, or a director inheriting a block with no records, the ownership and management chain is public information. Here is how to trace it, cheapest route first.
Unhappy with who manages your block?
Tell us the address and unit count. We'll explain your options — including right to manage — and what management would cost.
1. Your service charge demand — the fastest answer
By law, a service charge demand must state the landlord's name and address (sections 47 and 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987). If the demand omits them, the charge is not payable until it is corrected.
The managing agent is usually the sender of the demand; the landlord named on it is the freeholder or intermediate landlord. If you have any demand from the last few years, start here.
2. HM Land Registry — the definitive route
Download the freehold title register for the building from HM Land Registry for a few pounds. It names the registered proprietor of the freehold, and often reveals a management company in the restrictions or in the schedule of notices.
You may need the freehold title number rather than your own leasehold one. Search the address on the Land Registry service; where the building has multiple titles, the register for your flat will normally reference the superior title.
- Title register — names the freeholder and any registered management company
- Title plan — confirms which land and building the title covers
- Your own lease — sets out who is responsible for what, and to whom you pay
3. Companies House
Once you have a company name from the title register or the demand, Companies House gives you the registered office, the directors, the filing history and the accounts. For an RMC, the directors are usually fellow leaseholders — which tells you immediately whether the block is resident-controlled or landlord-controlled.
Filing history is diagnostic in itself. A management company with overdue accounts or a strike-off notice is a warning sign worth acting on.
4. Statutory requests
| Route | What it gets you | Response time |
|---|---|---|
| s.1 LTA 1985 request | Written statement of the landlord's name and address, from the agent or rent collector | 21 days |
| s.11 Leasehold Reform Act 1993 | Details of the landlord's interest and superior landlords | 1 month |
| s.21 LTA 1985 request | Written summary of service charge costs | Statutory timescale applies |
| Right to inspect | Access to the invoices and receipts behind the summary | Within 6 months of the summary |
5. On-site and practical sources
- Notices in the entrance hall or lift — most agents post an out-of-hours contact
- The lift inspection or fire alarm service label, which usually names the instructing agent
- Your buildings insurance certificate, if a copy has been circulated
- Neighbouring leaseholders, particularly anyone who has been a director
- The conveyancing file from your purchase — the management pack names the agent
6. Found them and unhappy with them?
Identifying the agent is often the first step in replacing them. Your options depend on who appoints the agent.
- If an RMC or RTM company appoints the agent, its directors can change agent by serving notice under the management agreement
- If the freeholder appoints, leaseholders can pursue the right to manage — a no-fault statutory right
- Where there is serious mismanagement, the First-tier Tribunal can appoint a manager under section 24 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987
- Where leases are short or ground rents onerous, collective enfranchisement buys the freehold outright
Frequently asked questions
How do I find out who owns the freehold of my block of flats?
Download the freehold title register from HM Land Registry for a small fee. It names the registered proprietor. Your service charge demand must also state the landlord's name and address by law.
Is the managing agent the same as the freeholder?
No. The freeholder owns the building; the managing agent is a company appointed to run it, either by the freeholder or by an RMC or RTM company. The agent has no ownership interest and can be replaced by whoever appointed it.
Can I make the managing agent tell me who the landlord is?
Yes. Under section 1 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 you can make a written request to the agent or rent collector for the landlord's name and address, and it must be provided within 21 days. Failure to comply is an offence.
How do I change the managing agent of my block?
If an RMC or RTM company appoints the agent, its directors serve notice under the management agreement. If the freeholder appoints, leaseholders can exercise the right to manage, apply to the tribunal to appoint a manager where there is fault, or buy the freehold through collective enfranchisement.