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Section 20 consultation procedure

Section 20 consultation procedure and major works

Major works and the consultation procedure

If you’re a leaseholder living in a council owned block we will let you know when major works will be taking place in your neighbourhood and if you have to contribute towards the cost.

Major works benefit everyone in a block and could include jobs such as new windows or roofing, door entry installations or redecorating communal areas.

We will write to you with details of what we are proposing, why the work is needed and give you an estimated cost.

When we consult leaseholders either before major works costing over £250 per property start or before we intend to enter into a long term agreement (over £100 per property per year) we send out a ‘section 20’ notice. It is called this because it was introduced by section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. If you receive a section 20 notice it is because we are proposing major work for your block and inviting you to let us know what you think.

There are three stages to a consultation:

  1. Notice of Intention – to explain what the agreement is for and why it is necessary. For smaller jobs the leaseholders can suggest a contractor, the council will then decide between different contractors
  2. Notice of Proposals – once 30 days have elapsed for comments and nominations the council then advises leaseholders of the contractors who have tendered for the work. You can view the tenders at this stage if you wish to do so
  3. Award of Contract/Works under a long-term agreement – after another 30 days the council informs the leaseholders of the new contract/cost of works

If you have any issues or queries about the proposed works and how much you will have to pay, you must let us know as soon as possible.

We will only ask you for payment once the work has been completed, and if you can't afford the whole amount at once we can set up a payment plan so you can pay it off in instalments.

If you have any questions about section 20 notices or would like to make written observations regarding a notice you have received, please contact section20@southampton.gov.uk

If we have written to you regarding proposed works to your block, please see the documents below relating to this.

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