Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they are giving, if any, to Right to Manage property companies and their directors on the legality or otherwise of imposing charges for approving pets. [I]

Where a Right to Manage (RTM) company takes over management of a building it is responsible for ensuring compliance with the terms of the lease. In some cases, leases require approval for pets which the RTM is responsible for granting. RTM companies are entitled to recover permission fees to cover their reasonable costs.

Guidance for RTM companies in exercising their functions including granting approvals is provided by the Leasehold Advisory Service.

Permission fees and administration charges - whether issued by a landlord or an RTM company - should only be used where necessary and should cover only any reasonable costs incurred. Any fees and charges should be justifiable, transparent, and communicated effectively and there should be a clear route to redress if things go wrong.

By law, variable administration or permission charges must be reasonable, and leaseholders can challenge them by applying to the tribunal for a decision if they do not believe they are fair.