PLA x PBA: Commercial and Residential Service Charges: Evolution versus Revolution

The event is now fully booked - please email events@pla.org.uk to be added to the waitist. 

With the cost of living and increasing labour and materials costs driving service charges ever higher it is no surprise that service charge disputes are on the rise across both the commercial and residential sector. Alongside the rise in disputes is an increase in regulation.  

Join us for an essential and timely panel discussion as we unpick the changes reshaping both residential and commercial property management.
 
In the residential sector, a "revolution" is gathering pace as the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 and the Building Safety Act 2022 promises to reshape the service charge landscape, with major reforms on the horizon following the government's recent consultation on increasing transparency and leaseholder protections. Meanwhile, the commercial world is undergoing an "evolution" following the introduction of the RICS Professional Standard (2nd Edition) in December 2025, which has set new benchmarks for transparency, fixed management fees, and financial reporting. 
 
Our expert panel, brought together by the Property Litigation Association and the Property Bar Association, will compare and contrast these two regimes. They will share their views on what the future holds, and there will be an opportunity for you to put your questions to them.

Our panel

Philip Rainey KC, Tanfield Chambers (Chair)
Siobhan McGrath, President of the First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber
Nick Trompeter KC, Selborne Chambers, who was instructed in London Trocadero (2015) LLP v Picturehouse Cinemas Ltd & Ors. [2025]
Cassandra Zanelli, Founder & CEO of Property Management Legal Services, an award-winning specialist in Tribunal matters including service charges
Peter Forrester, Chartered Surveyor and Technical Author of the Service Charges in Commercial Property, 2nd edition

Registration is from 5:30pm with a prompt start at 6:00pm. The panel discussion will finish at 7:00pm and be followed by networking drinks. 

BOOKING:

Open to all PLA and PBA members.

To book select the tickets you require and click 'book'. This will add the tickets to your basket at the top of the screen. Click on the basket to add delegate details and to 'checkout'.

Do you need financial assistance to attend this event?

If you (or another property litigator) need financial assistance to fund your membership of the PLA and/or attendance at PLA and wider industry events, apply for funding from the Vivien King Memorial Grant. Vivien was a trailblazer, a dedicated professional, and a well-respected member of the PLA and the grant is made available in her memory. We hope that this will help ensure that our membership remains accessible to all property litigation professionals and cultivate the next generation of leaders who embody Vivien's spirit of excellence, fairness, and dedication. Find out more >>