We, the undersigned leaseholders and residents of Royal Court in Stanmore Place, strongly object to the Section 20 notices issued by R&R for multiple issues in 2025 without proper consultation, transparency, or approval from the majority of residents.

Section 20 notices served recently:

1. 01/10/2025: Royal Court – Replacement of Cold-Water Booster Set
2. 03/09/2025: Royal Court – Fire Door Remedial work
3. 08/07/2025: Statement of Estimates – Stanmore Place – Fire Alarm Upgrade
4. 23/07/2024: Stanmore Place – Fire Alarm Upgrade

Our Concerns:

1. Lack of Proper Consultation – Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 imposes a statutory obligation on landlords and managing agents to consult leaseholders prior to undertaking major works. In this instance, the relevant notices appear to have been issued without providing residents with a sufficient opportunity to understand the scope and necessity of the proposed works, to review and comment upon them, or to propose reasonable alternatives. In particular, with respect to the fire door remediation notice, residents are entitled to a clear justification as to why such remedial works were not undertaken in 2021/22, when SEH had assumed responsibility for ensuring that the Royal Court fire doors complied with the requisite legal standards.
2. Inability to propose a Contractor – Due to the lack of adequate information regarding the scope and specification of the proposed works, residents have been effectively precluded from exercising their statutory right to nominate an alternative contractor from whom Rendall & Rittner and/or SEH should seek a comparative quotation during the tender process, as envisaged under Section 20.
3. Unreasonable Financial Burden – The proposed charges represent an excessive and disproportionate financial burden on residents, many of whom have not been provided with a sufficient breakdown of costs or a clear and evidenced justification for the necessity and reasonableness of the proposed expenditure.
4. Absence of Approval – No resident vote, collective meeting, or adequate communication was undertaken prior to the issuance of these notices. This approach falls short of the principles of transparency, accountability, and fair dealing that are expected of a managing agent acting in accordance with its fiduciary and statutory duties.

Our Request:

• All current Section 20 notices be withdrawn or suspended pending the completion of a full and lawful consultation with all leaseholders, in accordance with statutory requirements.
• A transparent meeting be convened with all leaseholders and residents to discuss, in detail, the proposed scope of works, associated budgets, and any viable alternatives, prior to any further action being taken.
• Ensure all future Section 20 notices be issued in strict compliance with the statutory consultation process as set out under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

Why This Matters:

Failure to conduct a lawful and transparent consultation process undermines residents’ trust, exposes them to the risk of unnecessary and avoidable costs, and may constitute a breach of the managing agent’s statutory obligations under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Leaseholders and residents should not be subjected to substantial financial liabilities in the absence of full accountability, clear justification, and genuine consultation.

Closing Statement:

We, the undersigned, formally request the immediate withdrawal of the current Section 20 demands and insist that a proper and lawful consultation process be undertaken in full compliance with the statutory requirements.