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Relationships between landlords and tenants can be strained by disputes over service charges, which impact commercial, residential, or mixed-use properties. At TV Edwards, our service charge disputes solicitors provide clients with expert guidance on how to resolve commercial service charge disputes efficiently, better protecting their financial and property interests.
If you’re a landlord trying to enforce lease terms or a tenant challenging excessive charges, we’ll tailor our approach to your circumstances, delivering clear, satisfactory outcomes.
Understanding Commercial Service Charge Disputes
Commercial service charge disputes arise when landlords and tenants disagree over service charge obligations outlined in a lease. These often involve costs for maintenance, repairs, or shared facilities.
Where residential properties benefit from statutory protections under the Landlord and Tenant Acts 1985 and 1987, commercial service charges are governed solely by the lease terms, making precise drafting and interpretation essential.
For tenants, disputes may stem from unclear lease clauses or unexpected charges, while landlords face challenges enforcing payments or justifying costs. TV Edwards’ service charge disputes solicitors help both parties, ensuring compliance with lease terms is maintained and conflicts are resolved, as explored in our Leaseholders vs Freeholders Legal Disputes guide.
For residential tenants, we navigate protections under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
Why Commercial Service Charge Disputes Occur?
number of factors can lead to service charge disputes, including ambiguous lease clauses, disagreements over “reasonable” costs, or a failure to follow statutory notice requirements (in the case of residential properties).
In commercial settings, disputes may involve high-value maintenance contracts or disputes over shared facilities in mixed-use buildings. These issues can escalate, which often means expert resolution is required. Our landlord and tenant dispute solicitors help clients with strategies that address such conflicts, leading to fair and satisfactory outcomes.
When to Seek Legal Advice
In order to prevent the escalation of your dispute, as well as potential financial loss, it’s imperative to take quick action. If you’re a tenant facing excessive charges or a landlord dealing with non-payment, consulting our service charge disputes solicitors early can strengthen your position.
We offer a consultation to assess your lease and help you toward the right resolution, leveraging our expertise for amicable outcomes.
Contact us to discuss your dispute.
Related Dispute Resolution Services
Our Approach to Service Charge Disputes
Our service charge disputes solicitors deliver a clear, client-focused process to resolve commercial service charge disputes.
We’ll analyse your lease, assess the outlined obligations, and pursue alternative resolutions that align with your commercial goals, be that through negotiation, mediation, or tribunal representation. Here’s what our process looks like:
- Lease Review: We’ll do a thorough examination of the service charge clause to confirm obligations and identify disputes.
- Evidence Collection: Invoices, lease documents, and correspondence are gathered in order to support the case.
- Negotiation and Mediation: We’ll then pursue cost-effective resolutions.
- Tribunal Representation: For residential disputes, we represent you at the First-Tier Tribunal under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
- Transparent Updates: We provide regular progress reports and clear cost estimates.
Our approach means we get fair outcomes for our clients, whether they’re landlords enforcing charges or tenants challenging costs.
Collaborative Expertise
Our service charge disputes solicitors work closely with clients, valuers, and property managers to address all facets of your dispute. By integrating legal and commercial insights, we craft strategies tailored to your needs.
For related financial disputes, our debt recovery in the UK guide offers insights into recovering unpaid charges.
Why Choose TV Edwards?
- Highly ranked in legal directories – Recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers UK
- Practical solutions – we explore settlements, mediation, arbitration, and other ADR
- Proven success – Strong court record, if Alternative Dispute Resolution isn’t an option
- Cost-effective solutions – Always transparent about costs and funding arrangements
- Specialist expertise – London team with experience in complex commercial cases
Our Accreditations
TV Edwards is recognised in the Times Best Law Firms 2025, with Lexcel and Cyber Essentials accreditations. We uphold the highest standards of professionalism and client trust. Our expertise in commercial service charge disputes allows us to handle cases with precision and integrity.
You can learn more about our Partners and Management Team here.
Client Testimonials
Commercial Service Charge Disputes FAQs
What are commercial service charge disputes?
Commercial service charge disputes involve disagreements between landlords and tenants over service charge obligations in a commercial lease.
These disputes often concern maintenance or shared facility costs. Our service charge disputes solicitors will analyse leases and negotiate resolutions on your behalf, making sure the protection of your interests is primary.
What causes service charge disputes?
Disputes arise from ambiguous lease clauses, excessive charges, or failure to follow statutory notice requirements (in the case of residential properties).
In commercial settings, unclear cost allocations can exacerbate tensions. Our landlord and tenant dispute solicitors are able to identify the causes of these disputes and work toward an effective solution.
What is the most effective way to resolve commercial service charge disputes?
Ideally, negotiation or mediation will work in bringing about a resolution to a dispute, as these are both more cost-effective and less stressful than litigation.
Mediation preserves relationships. If tribunal or court action is unavoidable, our service charge disputes solicitors will advocate robustly for your interests.
How can I succeed in a commercial service charge dispute?
Success requires proving lease obligations and reasonable costs, supported by strong evidence.
Our solicitors will compile the necessary documentation and counter defences against your claim, leveraging expertise and experience to get the best possible outcome.
How do commercial and residential service charge disputes differ?
Commercial disputes rely solely on lease terms, while residential disputes benefit from statutory protections under the Landlord and Tenant Acts.
Residential tenants can seek First-Tier Tribunal determinations. Our service charge dispute solicitors can navigate both, maintaining client compliance and achieving fair resolutions.
To see how we can help you, contact our team.
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