PM (Property Managers) Forum
PM Charter for Engagement with Service Charge Consultants
The following notes are a summary of the discussion that took place at the joint meeting of Remit Consulting’s Property Managers Forum, at the offices of Colliers, London, in September 2025.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The forum, held on 23rd September 2025, reviewed and refined the second version of the Property Managers’ Charter, aimed at setting clear expectations for engaging with service charge (SC) consultants.
The forum opened with a read-through of the Charter, led by Charlie Bolam of Remit Consulting. Sections below follow the order of the Charter, with notes per each part of the Charter as discussed during the forum. Suggestions were made to include tenant perspectives and clarify the Charter’s intent for both internal and external consultants.
A final Charter draft will be circulated for review, with a target implementation date of 31st December 2025. Broader communication and promotion are planned, including outreach to RICS and major landlords to ensure awareness across all organisational levels.
Property Managers’ Charter for Engagement with Service Charge Consultants
Version 2.0 – 29th August 2025
Section 1: PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES
A key point raised was whether the term “genuine consultancy” should be explicitly included. While the suggestion was noted, it was parked for further consideration.
A general statement of intent was proposed for the top of the Charter: “We are intending to be open, fair and reasonable.”
Section 2: SCOPE
It was agreed that consultants querying service charges must adhere to professional standards, and the Charter should reflect this. The scope section will be updated to clarify this, using the existing template that is attached to the Charter.
Section 3: CORE COMMITMENTS
This section generated the most discussion. Key points included:
Fee Structure: A suggestion to remove hourly rates and instead require fixed fees or incentivised disclosure.
Confidentiality Loop: Concerns were raised about mutual confidentiality—if SCs claim documents are confidential, property managers may be unable to share their own.
Documentation Access: Tenants should provide SCs with necessary documents upfront. If SCs submit incomplete queries, managers may need to redirect them back to tenants.
Query Standards: Point 3.2 will be reworded to clarify that comprehensive questions will be answered, but repetitive ones will not.
Tone of Language: Points 3.3 and 3.4 will be revised to remove combative language and clarify expectations around lease agreements.
Building Specifications: Examples in 3.4 (e.g., heating systems, Google Maps) will be removed. Instead, the Charter will state that SCs are expected to have done their due diligence.
Consultation with SCs: A proposal from the audience was made to consult SCs during the drafting process and involve RICS to promote collaboration.
Transparency: The need to define “transparency” was flagged as a parking lot item, as RICS does not define transparency either.
Terminology Updates:
Point 3.6: Replace “tenants” with “clients” to reflect industry variations.
Point 3.7: Clarify that SCs cannot label issues as complaints or disputes without giving proper context or situation.
Point 3.9: Update response time expectations to include acknowledgement within 15 days and a stated resolution timeline.
Point 3.11: Clarify the role of independent accountants and reference the Code for appropriate terminology.
Section 4: GOVERNANCE & REVIEW
No additional comments were raised on this section.
Section 5: DISPUTE RESOLUTION
No additional comments were raised on this section.
Section 6: SIGNATURE
No additional comments were raised on this section.
Appendix 1: Standard Query Template
Several refinements were suggested:
To move the tenant’s name to the top of the form.
To add a question asking whether the SC has read the lease.
To replace “document analysis” with “lease review”.
To include a checklist of required documents to streamline responses.
To acknowledge that not all SCs may respond, but the template promotes consistency and professionalism.
Comments that were raised in the previous forum for further discussion:
Clarification was provided that anyone can report professionals to RICS, including SC consultants.
Comment 6 (response time) will be updated in the main Charter.
NEXT STEPS
Next Forum: Scheduled for November 2025, the exact date will be announced soon.
Possible topics for next time: Non-recoverable vs recoverable fees, and the implications of the new Code.
ReTurn Research: Remit continues to seek anonymised data from buildings with managed access, please get in touch if you would like to be involved.
Reflections Project: Remit’s Director Steph will be revisiting this initiative to assess current trends in property management, and we would love to hear your insights.
Code Management: A final discussion touched on the challenges of managing leases nearing expiry under the new Code.
If you have further comments or would like to contribute to the Charter’s finalisation, please contact Remit Consulting or reach out to Lorna Landells and Charlie Bolam directly.