Schedule 1 Insurance Request
Obtaining the status of our current insurance, and a benchmark against the market.
As individual leaseholders preparing for the Right to Manage, our strongest legal tool to obtain insurance information is Schedule 1 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This gives us the statutory right to request a summary of our buildings insurance policy and subsequently inspect the full documents.
When we form the RTM Company, this information will likely be re-requested by our solicitors using Section 93 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002.
Coupled with Section 82 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 (information required for RTM), this forms a bulletproof request. This data is essential for:
- Verifying reasonable costs - Ensuring insurance charges are competitive and free of hidden commissions.
- RTM preparation - Obtaining independent quotes for Day 1 operations.
- Risk assessment - Understanding the building's claims history.
- Rebuild cost validation - Confirming the professional valuation is accurate.
Why This Matters
We're currently charged for buildings insurance through our service charge, but have no visibility into:
- The actual policy terms and coverage
- Whether Southern Housing is receiving hidden procurement commissions
- The building's claims history (which dictates our premiums)
- How the current rebuild cost was calculated
Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Southern Housing must respond within 21 days or commit a summary offence punishable by a fine.
The Request
Draft Status
This letter is in DRAFT status and ready to be customised and sent by any leaseholder or the Shadow Board.
FORMAL REQUEST UNDER SCHEDULE 1 LTA 1985 - Buildings Insurance Information
From:Alexander Lyon
To:Southern Housing Group
Date:17-03-2026
Date: 17-03-2026
Address: 10, Odyssey House, 844 Garratt Lane
Landlord: Southern Housing Group
FORMAL REQUEST FOR INSURANCE INFORMATION
Dear Southern Housing Group,
I am writing as a leaseholder at the above property to make a formal request for information relating to the buildings insurance policy covering Odyssey House.
This request is made pursuant to paragraph 2, Schedule 1 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (as amended) and, insofar as it relates to our preparation for the Right to Manage, Section 82 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002.
Information Requested
Pursuant to the above legislation, I request the following within the statutory 21-day period:
1. Insurance Policy Documentation
- A written summary of the current buildings insurance policy
- A full copy of the current policy schedule
- Name and address of the insurer
- Policy number and coverage period
- Schedule of cover amounts, limits, and excesses
2. Claims History (Last 5 Years)
- The official "Claims Experience Provider Report" detailing all claims made for Odyssey House from 17-03-2021 to present.
- For each claim:
- Date of incident and nature of claim
- Amount claimed and amount paid
- Current status (settled/ongoing)
3. Rebuild Cost Assessment
- Most recent professional reinstatement/rebuild cost valuation
- Date of valuation and name of surveyor/valuer
- Full copy of the rebuild cost assessment report
- Methodology and floor area used in the calculation
4. Premium Breakdown & Commissions
- Current annual premium amount allocated to Odyssey House
- A clear breakdown showing:
- Base premium
- Any commission, remuneration, or procurement fees deducted by or paid to Southern Housing or its managing agents
- Insurance Premium Tax
- Any additional administration fees
5. Alternative Quotations
- Evidence of market testing (if any) conducted in the last 3 years
- Details of any alternative quotes obtained
Statutory Requirements
Under Schedule 1 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, you are legally required to provide a written summary of the insurance policy within 21 days of receiving this request. Failure to comply without reasonable excuse is a summary offence punishable by a fine.
Purpose
This information is reasonably required to:
1. Verify that insurance charges are reasonable under Section 27A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
2. Prepare for independent insurance procurement under the forthcoming Right to Manage claim.
3. Assess the historical risk profile and rebuild cost accuracy for the building.
Please send the requested information to:
arlyon@me.com
Flat 10, Odyssey House, 844 Garratt Lane, SW170GS
If you are unable to comply with any part of this request, please provide written reasons within the 21-day statutory period.
Yours faithfully,
Alexander Lyon
What We'll Do With The Data
Once we receive the information:
1. Rebuild Cost Validation
- Compare against the £3,660,000 figure from the online
- Check methodology and assumptions
- Look for inflated valuations that unnecessarily increase premiums
2. Claims History Analysis
- Use the Claims Experience Provider Report to identify patterns
- Check if frequent claims relate to landlord negligence (unpaid bills, deferred maintenance)
- Provide this verified data to brokers for accurate RTM quotes
3. Expose Hidden Commissions
- Large housing associations often take a percentage of the premium as a "procurement fee." Identifying this allows us to see the true cost of the insurance vs. administrative bloat.
4. Challenge Unreasonable Costs
- If our findings show significant overpayment or undisclosed commissions, we can:
- Dispute via Section 27A (service charge reasonableness)
- Use as evidence in First-tier Tribunal proceedings
- Demand retrospective credits
Market Quote Analysis
While we await the official Schedule 1 response with official rebuild cost data, we've already begun market testing with independent brokers.
Preliminary Quote Received
Premier Line (Liam Burrow, March 2026)
Buildings Insurance Quote - Odyssey House
From:Liam Burrow (Premier Line)
To:Alexander Lyon
Date:March 2026
Good afternoon Alexander,
Thank you for your time this afternoon in regards to the buildings insurance.
Following our discussions on the use of the premises being either Leaseholder or private rental then the rates I believe would be around £3,500 to £3,700. The premium may increase if you are looking to add alternative accommodation or rent receivable and also with legal expenses and other covers you can add.
This is obviously only a ball park figure. Throughout the year premiums can go up and down so there is a chance we could be cheaper in 12 months.
If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to come back to me.
Kind regards,
Liam Burrow Cert CII
Sales Executive, New Business
Cost Comparison
| Item | Current (Southern Housing) | Market Quote (Premier Line) | Estimated Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per Flat | £272.04/year (£22.67/month) | £233-£247/year | £25-£39/year |
| Building Total | £4,080.60/year | £3,500-£3,700/year | £380-£580/year |
Key Notes:
- Quote is a ballpark estimate without official rebuild cost.
- Terrorism Cover: We must verify if Southern Housing's current premium includes Terrorism Cover. If it does, we will need to request an updated quote from Premier Line to ensure an "apples to apples" comparison.
- Additional covers (legal expenses, alternative accommodation) would increase premium but we can decide if we want them.
- Market rates fluctuate - could be cheaper in 12 months.
- We can get firmer quotes once the Schedule 1 response provides the rebuild cost assessment and claims history.
Why This Matters
- Already competitive - Even without optimisation, independent brokers are showing cheaper baseline rates.
- Room for improvement - Once we get the full breakdown from Southern, we may negotiate further by cutting out broker commissions.
- RTM readiness - Proves we can source insurance independently on Day 1.
- Reasonableness challenge - If Southern Housing's insurance is overpriced compared to the open market, we have grounds for a Section 27A dispute.
Next Steps
Correspondence: Section 22 & Arrears
Formal exchange with Southern Housing regarding the statutory notice served March 2, 2026, and the agreement on partial payments.
2026/2027 Service Charge Breakdown
A line-by-line breakdown of our £203.18 monthly service charge and what Southern Housing claims these fees cover.