Help a Leaseholder Facing £13,500 in Major Works and Tribunal Costs

My housing association has now demanded as of 13th March 2026, £9,000 by the end of April 2026, following a tribunal case relating to major works on the listed building where I live. And around an additional £5k in September 2026.

In total, I’m now facing a confirmed £13,500 in liability once legal costs and Section 20 major works are combined. For someone on a modest income, this is a life-changing financial shock.

When I bought my flat, I believed I was purchasing a home that had been properly converted and was fundamentally fit for purpose. Like most buyers, I understood there would be service charges and maintenance costs attached to leasehold living.

What I did not expect was the possibility that the existing fabric of the building may not have received the level of attention it required during conversion, leaving leaseholders exposed years later to major structural costs.

Leasehold works very differently from normal home ownership. Leaseholders don’t control the building, don’t choose the contractors, and cannot refuse major works once they are imposed. Yet we remain financially responsible for them.

Under Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act, the cost of major works can be passed directly to leaseholders. In a listed building, those works are often specialist and extremely expensive — even though residents already pay ongoing service charges.

During the tribunal process, some compelling evidence relating to the building’s condition and recent works was excluded on procedural grounds. While legally permissible, it limited what could be considered and ultimately left leaseholders like myself carrying the financial consequences.

The result is that a single tribunal outcome can impose tens of thousands of pounds of liability on ordinary residents.

I am trying to raise funds to soften the impact of this and avoid being pushed into long-term repayment arrangements that would damage my standard of living for years.

I don’t ask lightly. If you are able to contribute, it is hugely appreciated. If not, simply sharing this page helps more than you might realise. Under the rule of forfeiture a property can ultimately revert to the leaseholder and leave you with nothing over a relatively modest debt, even if the mortgage has been paid off.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.