A residents' board needs a clear decision process as well as a repair proposal. Directors may be leaseholders themselves, but a discussion between neighbours is not the same as an instruction issued by the responsible company. For an RMC or RTM project, identify the client's powers, the decisions reserved to the board and the advisers needed. This guide provides a practical briefing sequence; it does not interpret a company's articles, leases or individual directors' legal duties.
Identify the client and the authority to instruct
Record the company name and the basis on which it is responsible for the building's management or repairs. An RMC and an RTM company may arrive at their roles through different arrangements. Do not assume the board owns the freehold or has authority over every part of an estate. Ask the appropriate adviser to confirm the relevant leases, company documents and management boundaries.
Agree how a professional appointment and later changes will be authorised. Name the contact who can provide instructions and distinguish that role from a resident who supplies useful information. Where a managing agent supports the board, record which decisions it may make and which require further authority. A clear instruction channel helps avoid contradictory directions without preventing residents from raising concerns about the proposed work.
Commission the condition question before choosing the solution
Start with the problem that needs investigation. Collect photographs, maintenance records, previous reports and resident observations, then define the inspection's scope and limits. A board may know that a leak keeps recurring without knowing whether the proposed full replacement is proportionate. Ask the surveyor to identify the evidence for the recommendation, alternatives worth considering and any further investigation needed before a specification is settled.
Separate making a condition safe from agreeing the entire permanent scheme. Identify the responsible people and advice needed for urgent matters, access, specialist systems or statutory duties. Do not let an attractive contractor proposal become the only description of the problem. A documented technical brief helps the board understand what it is deciding and what remains outside the available information.
Assign consultation responsibilities explicitly
Establish the applicable Section 20 route with the landlord or company's appropriate adviser. The current amounts are more than £250 for qualifying works and more than £100 in the relevant accounting period for qualifying long-term agreements, subject to the category and statutory requirements. Keep the lease contribution schedule alongside the cost information rather than using a casual equal division at a meeting.
The person preparing and serving notices needs a complete instruction, correct recipients and an agreed programme. HCS supplies technical specification and tender information; it does not prepare or serve statutory notices or give legal advice. Record the distinction in the responsibility schedule. A board cannot infer from appointing a surveyor that the notice service, legal procedure and service-charge decisions have all been transferred automatically.
Connect the works proposal to the funding information
Obtain the current reserve position, committed expenditure and lease provisions before deciding how to fund the scheme. A proposed contribution schedule should have an identified author and evidential basis. Ask how uncertainties in the scope affect the forecast and which assumptions need updating after investigation or tendering. Avoid approving a rounded overall allowance without knowing which costs it includes or excludes.
Read the reserve-fund and planned-maintenance guide alongside the technical programme. Money already held does not settle whether the lease permits its proposed use or remove consultation requirements. Keep questions about collection, payment timing and any financial advice with the responsible adviser. A technical recommendation should not be presented to residents as an assurance about their individual legal liability.
Record a reasoned procurement decision
Ask for a comparison that shows the specification, document versions, tender qualifications, programme assumptions and unresolved points. A list of totals is not enough to explain what is being purchased. Identify contractor nominations received through the consultation and how they have been handled. The client's adviser should confirm the statutory requirements, including the relevant unconnected estimate and any conditional award notice.
Use a decision paper to connect the recommendation to its evidence. Record alternatives considered, the authority to enter the contract and actions required before appointment. Where an interest or relationship could affect the decision, raise it through the company's and advisers' conflict processes. HCS will not tender as contractor for a programme it specifies, tenders or administers; that boundary remains separate from the board's own responsibilities.
Give residents a consistent information route
Agree who will explain the programme, receive access concerns and maintain the observations record. Keep technical answers tied to the current scope and avoid conflicting informal commitments from different directors. A short update can distinguish an agreed decision, a proposed option and an issue still being investigated. It should not imply that a contractor has been appointed when authority or consultation steps remain outstanding.
Keep meetings and company decisions within the applicable governance arrangements. LEASE's RTM guidance is useful context for meetings, communication and records, but it does not replace checking the particular company's documents. Residents should know where relevant information is available and how to raise a question. A well-organised communication file also makes a later handover easier when the board or managing agent changes.
Plan for contract administration and the next maintenance cycle
Before work begins, define the appointed contract-administration role, reporting arrangements and client decisions. The contract administration service explains that workstream; it should be agreed expressly rather than assumed from an earlier survey or tender report. Identify who controls changes, how instructions are recorded and what information the board will receive when a decision affects scope, cost or programme.
At handover, collect the completion record, maintenance information and outstanding actions, and connect them to the next planned-maintenance review. To discuss a brief, use the major works consultancy route for residential blocks or the shared managing-agent panel page. Supply the company and property details, available condition information and current stage so scope, authority and conflicts can be checked before an appointment is accepted.