Property Asset Management Disputes UK (2025)

Overview

Real estate asset management is the ongoing work of running a property or a portfolio of properties so that it performs well financially and holds its value over time. A manager in this role will typically handle tenant matters, negotiate and enforce leases, arrange repairs and refurbishments, monitor income and outgoings, and report back to whoever owns the underlying assets.

Those owners can be individual landlords, family offices, trusts, pension schemes, institutional investors, or beneficiaries of an estate where property is held as part of the residue. A dispute in this area is any disagreement between the manager and the people they act for, or sometimes between the manager and third parties such as tenants, contractors, or lenders, about how that role has been carried out.

In probate and trust contexts, disputes often surface when beneficiaries question whether the person managing an inherited property portfolio has acted in their best interests.

Key steps

1. Gather the paperwork. Collect the management agreement, any letters of engagement, recent account statements, tenancy agreements, service charge records, repair invoices, and correspondence. A clear documentary picture of what was agreed and what has actually happened is the single most useful thing you can put together before taking any further action.
2. Identify the specific complaint. Work out whether the issue is a breach of contract, a breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, or suspected dishonesty. The same set of facts can give rise to more than one claim, but being precise about what went wrong helps you frame the right questions and target the right remedy rather than making broad accusations.
3. Raise the matter in writing. Put your concerns to the manager formally, setting out the facts, what you believe has gone wrong, and what you want done about it. Keep the tone measured and factual. A written record matters later if the dispute proceeds, and a clear letter sometimes prompts a sensible response without any need for further steps.
4. Explore alternative dispute resolution. Before starting court proceedings, consider mediation or a without prejudice meeting. Courts in England and Wales expect parties to attempt to settle where possible, and costs sanctions can follow an unreasonable refusal. Mediation is often quicker, cheaper, and less damaging to commercial relationships than litigation, particularly where parties will continue to work together.
5. Take specialist input before issuing a claim. If the dispute cannot be resolved, the next step is usually instructing a solicitor with property litigation or contentious trust experience. Limitation periods apply, evidence needs preserving, and the right forum, whether the County Court, High Court, or First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), depends on the nature of the claim.

Common questions