Online survey of Rendall and Rittner leaseholders from nearly 100 developments – headline findings 

Report by Mike O’Driscoll (Rendall and Rittner Action Network), May 2025. 

Summary
These insights provide a quantitative overview of the concerns and characteristics of the individuals who signed the open letter to Rendall and Rittner. The high frequency of complaints related to service charges and service quality suggests these are key areas of dissatisfaction. The distribution of service charges indicates a significant financial burden for many leaseholders. This is an initial headline summary and a fuller report will be provided in due course. The views of respondents are reported here but have not been independently investigated.

The survey is still open! All leaseholders at Rendall and Rittner developments are welcome to take part!

Methodology
There were 368 responses to an online survey from across nearly 100 developments in England. Sampling was on convenience basis (i.e. those who responded online). Data was collected between March and May 2025. 

Survey Findings
Predominant Issues: The most frequently reported issues are related to high service charges, poor service generally, and concerns about tendering and procurement processes leading to bad value for money. A significant number of respondents also reported issues with the maintenance of their blocks/developments and failures in the timely and complete supply of accounts.

‘High service charges (generally)’ was the most cited issue, mentioned by 96.8% (363 respondents )
‘Poor service generally’ and ‘Poor tendering, procurement leading to bad value for money’ were also very common, reported by (83.7%, n=308) and (77.7% , n=286) of respondents, respectively.

‘Failure to maintain your block/ development to a good standard’ was reported by 68.5% of respondents (n=252) .

Issues related to the supply of accounts were also frequently mentioned (45% saying accounts not produced at all, 62.8% saying accounts not supplied in a timely way and 61.1% citing failure to supply full or meaningful accounts). 

49% of respondents (n=183) referred to failure to deal with fire safety issues and 16.6% (n=41) cited unwarranted interference in their residents’ association or management company by Rendall and Rittner 

Service Charge Amounts: The average (mean)  annual service charge is approximately £5,762.69.
The median (middle) service charge is £5,000, indicating that half of the respondents pay this amount or less annually.
The majority of the reported service charges fall within the range of approximately £3,300 to £6,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile).

Property Sizes: The majority of the respondents who provided information about their property size own 2-bedroom properties.


Thematic summary of open ended (text) responses: 

1. Excessive & Escalating Service Charges
Residents consistently report unjustified, rising service charges with no corresponding improvements. Many view them as exploitative.
– “Crazy service charges, overpriced and no reports or documentation”- “Extortionate service charges and complacent ignorant people in charge”- “I now pay £7500 pa. The service is appalling”

2. Lack of Transparency & Accountability
A dominant theme involves opaque financial practices, missing accounts, and refusal to share or explain invoices and charges.
– “Still waiting for accounts since 2020”- “Zero transparency, zero accountability”- “Service charges are over double the London average… I have tried to see the accounts for over 8 years”

3. Poor Communication & Resident Engagement
Many residents report being ignored, receiving no replies to complaints or inquiries, and a general lack of respect or collaboration.
– “Do not answer letters”- “Little desire to meet or consult with residents”- “Passive aggressive responses if one received at all”

4. Substandard Maintenance & Mismanagement
Reports of long-standing repairs being ignored, buildings deteriorating, and poor contractor oversight are frequent.
– “Over 5 years on and no further progress on fixing the cladding”- “Neglected building”- “Our grade 2 listed building has deteriorated with several health and safety issues”

5. Alleged Legal & Ethical Misconduct
Some respondents claim that R&R engages in ”legal bullying”, unfounded threats, and misuse of funds—some of which have been supported by tribunal decisions.
– “Unfounded legal threats to residents”- “A Tribunal confirmed [they] did not comply with… the Landlord and Tenant Act”- “They are borderline criminal in messing up the funds”

6. Financial & Emotional Impact on Residents
Many mention stress, anxiety, and mental health decline due to ongoing issues with R&R.
– “It has caused me tremendous mental distress”- “I suffer from extreme stress wondering how I can keep up with payments”- “They have affected my health very badly and gave me heart palpitations”

7. Calls for Change / Accountability
Residents express a strong desire to remove R&R, seek reform, or support alternative management like Right to Manage.
– “We had R&R sacked through incompetence”- 
“We need a new management company”
 

The findings are pretty damning for Rendall and Rittner and show a clear recurrent pattern across many developments over a long period. The survey remains open and a fuller report will be published in due course.

Mike O’Driscoll