Statutory Instruments
2026 No. 298
LANDLORD AND TENANT, ENGLAND
The Approval of Code of Management Practice (Residential Management) (Service Charges) (England) Order 2026
Made
16th March 2026
Laid before Parliament
17th March 2026
Coming into force
7th April 2026
The Secretary of State makes this Order in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 87 and 100(1)(b) of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993(1).
In accordance with section 87(2) of that Act, the Secretary of State is satisfied that arrangements have been made for the text of the code to be published in a manner that the Secretary of State considers appropriate for bringing the provisions of the code to the notice of those likely to be affected by them.
Citation, commencement, extent and application
1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Approval of Code of Management Practice (Residential Management) (Service Charges) (England) Order 2026 and comes into force on 7th April 2026.
(2) This Order extends to England and Wales.
(3) This Order applies in relation to the management of residential properties in England only.
Approval of code of practice
2. The Secretary of State approves the “ Service charge residential management code and additional advice for landlords, leaseholders and agents ” (ISBN 978-1-78321-552-2), which is to be published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors( 2 ), with the exception of the sections headed “RICS standards framework” and “Freehold houses and variable estate rent charges”.
Withdrawal of approval
3. The Secretary of State withdraws approval of the “ Service Charge Residential Management Code ” (ISBN 978-1-78321-141-8)( 3 ).
Revocations
4. The following Orders are revoked—
(a)the Approval of Codes of Management Practice (Residential Property) Order 1996, insofar as it relates to approval of the “Service Charge Residential Management Code” (ISBN 0-85406-643-8) in relation to England(4);
(b)the Approval of Code of Management Practice (Residential Management) (Service Charges) (England) Order 2009(5);
(c)the Approval of Code of Management Practice (Residential Management) (Service Charges) (England) Order 2016(6).
Transitional provision
5. Articles 2 to 4 do not have effect for the purposes of section 87(7) of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 (use of code in proceedings) in relation to an act or omission alleged to have occurred before this Order comes into force.
Signed by the authority of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
16th March 2026
1993 c. 28; section 87 was amended by section 150 of, and paragraph 11 of Schedule 9 to, the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 (c. 15). The functions of the Secretary of State under sections 87 and 100 were, so far as exercisable in relation to Wales, transferred to the National Assembly for Wales by article 2 of, and Schedule 1 to S.I. 1999/672 and section 177 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002. Those functions were subsequently transferred to the Welsh Ministers by virtue of section 162(1) of, and paragraph 30 of Schedule 11, to the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32).
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, 12 St George Street, London, SW1P 3AD.
“Service Charge Residential Management Code” (ISBN 978-1-78321-141-8) by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors was approved by S.I. 2016/518.
S.I. 1996/2839.