RTM and Commonhold
Stop paying premium service charges for broken doors, undelivered maintenance, and zero transparency. It’s time to take control.
We are paying over £2438 a year per flat for a building with broken doors, broken intercom, failing fire doors, and inflated fees. We can fire our managing agent and take ownership of our homes. The law is on our side, and it is time. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act made it much easier to switch management firm, bolstered the rights of tenants who are under shared ownership, and the upcoming Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill will empower us to own our building rather than lease it for someone else.
What does it mean for us?
💰 Control Spending
Take control of spending and investment. If they can't arrange a simple repair, what else are they failing or negligent on?
🔄 Choose Management
Get flexibility to pick our own management company. We should be able to hire and fire based on performance, not be locked into a failing contractor.
💬 Full Transparency
Get better transparency and information dissemination. No more ignored emails, vague invoices, or being kept in the dark about our own building.
✂️ Cut the Middle-Man
Reduce layers of bureaucracy and ensure our service charges actually deliver services.
The problem
🚨 Unsafe & Broken
Critical security points, including our main intercom and the 2nd-floor fire door, have been broken for months despite our continued payments.
💰 Inflated Charges
We are billed for 'management fees' and undelivered services (like £840/year just to look at hallway power points) that offer zero value.
🔒 Zero Transparency
Southern Housing routinely ignores emails, bots complaints, and gives us the run-around.
👤 No accountability
Complaints are bounced from department to department, and there is no single person looking out for us.
This is what's baffling... they must be saving a crazy amount of money with how little they actually do in the building. It is absolutely shocking that they can't do the basics.
The Hidden Cost: Property Devaluation
Southern Housing's mismanagement isn't just costing us monthly; it is destroying our equity. As discussed by residents attempting to sell in early 2026, Odyssey House flats are currently facing severe devaluation (in some cases, £30,000+ below purchase price). Local estate agents have explicitly cited our inflated and unpredictable service charges as a primary deterrent for buyers.
Taking over management (RTM) and converting to Commonhold removes this "service charge trap," instantly making our homes more sellable and valuable.
Don't take our word for it. We've compiled every invoice, ignored email, and broken promise into an open-source archive. Enter the Data Room →
The 2-Step Escape Plan
The law is on our side. We do not have to ask Southern Housing for permission to do this. We just need to organise. And as of last year, those under shared ownership finally have a vote. You retain the laddering agreement with Southern but are free to choose your own management firm.
Step 1: Right to Manage (RTM)
Immediate Action
Under the 2002 Reform Act, if 50% of us agree, we can legally strip Southern Housing of their management contract.
- What happens: We form a resident-run RTM Company. We hire an independent, locally accountable managing agent of our choosing. Southern Housing must legally hand over our unspent reserve funds, and we are free to pick based on price and performance rather than a monopolistic default.
- The benefit: We slash inflated management fees, tender our own competitive contracts, and ensure a broken door gets fixed on day one, not day one hundred.
Step 2: Commonhold Conversion
The Endgame (Pending 2026/27 Legislation)
Once the Draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill passes, we upgrade from managing the building to owning it outright.
- What happens: We collectively buy the freehold, and take ownership of the shell of the building. The resident-run company owns the shell of the building
- The benefit: No more arbitrary landlord rules, no property devaluation as the lease goes down, and permanent control over our property assets. We operate under a common rulebook (CCS) that makes buying / selling easier, improves the value of our homes, and inverts control. We vote on budgets rather than having them set for us. And, abolish forfeiture in favour of a more equitable system.
Costs & Savings
Here is a rough breakdown of expected costs and savings.
💸 RTM Costs (One-Time)
Legal fees: £2,000-£5,000 (split = £150-£350 each) • Company formation & Landlord costs: ~£150 • Total per flat: ~£300-£500 upfront
💰 RTM Annual Savings
30-50% reduction in management fees • £500-£1,000/flat savings via competitive tendering • Eliminate undelivered charges (e.g., £840/year hallway inspections)
💸 Commonhold Costs (When Available)
Freehold premium (peppercorn lease): £500-£1,500 • Legal, Valuation & Landlord fees (split): £500-£800 • Total per flat: ~£1,000-£2,300 one-time
📈 Commonhold Benefits (Long-Term)
10-30% property value increase (freehold premium) • No more lease decay • No more 'Licence to Alter' • Permanent immunity from forfeiture
Break-Even Timeline
Even with upfront RTM costs, most buildings recover the investment within 3-4 months through reduced annual charges.
For more, please see the Service Charges and the Data Room.
The Master Task List
We aren't just complaining; we are building a watertight legal case. Here is exactly what we are doing behind the scenes to prepare for the takeover.
Stage 1: Fix the Current Issues
Stage 2: Financial Position
Stage 3: Right to Manage
Stage 4: Commonhold
What We Need From You
To trigger Step 3 (Right to Manage), the law requires 8 out of 15 (50%) to participate. Once we exercise our right to management and set up our own RTM Company, we can then re-evaluate every maintenance contract we have.
This is not a legal signature, that will come later.
Right to Manage carries zero upfront cost to you, but it requires us to stand together. We need your signature to legally force Southern Housing's hand. Please read this document to understand the implications and consider pledging support.
Your Next Steps
- Join the Chat: Get real-time updates and ask questions in the building's secure WhatsApp group.
- Sign the Mandate: Provide your legal consent to join the RTM application. (Link coming soon)
- Talk to Your Neighbours: If you know someone in the building who isn't aware of this, send them this link.
- Have a look at the pages for the current issues, financial review, and right to manage. Then, look at an analysis of the service charges.
Broken Amenities
A comprehensive record of the total failure in security and safety management at Odyssey House.
Financial Review
Using statutory inspection rights to expose Southern Housing's billing practices, track our missing money, and prepare the RTM financial case.
Right to Manage
The statutory legal pathway to fire Southern Housing, take our money back, and seize control of our building's management.
Service Charges
A line-by-line breakdown of our £203.18 monthly service charge and what Southern Housing claims these fees cover.
My Next Steps
I am in the process of gathering interest (that's what this is for!), understanding the financial situation of our building (for more, see Financial Review), and dealing with our current issues. Absolute transparency is the goal. Once that is done, and if we can get the required number of signatures, we will democratically proceed with selecting 3-5 directors and going forward with our 'divorce'.
My commitment to you is a modern, transparent, and equitable system that works for us focusing on our local community rather than getting drowned out in beaureaucracy. I have experience running companies, filing accounts, dealing with contracts, and believe we can deliver savings of 10k a year to our building while delivering timely and efficient repairs.