Self-Managed Block? The Compliance Checklist RMC Directors Miss
Self-managing your block can save real money and give a board proper control. What it does not do is reduce the legal duties — the RMC or RTM company holds exactly the same statutory obligations as any managing agent would. The blocks that get caught out are rarely negligent; they simply lost track of one recurring item among many. Here’s the checklist directors most often miss.
The items that most often slip
- Fire risk assessment reviews. Boards commission an FRA once and forget it needs reviewing. An assessment that’s years out of date is treated as no assessment at all.
- FRA remedial actions. The assessment gets done — then its recommended actions are never closed out. This is one of the most common findings in enforcement.
- Legionella (L8) reviews and monitoring. The initial risk assessment happens; the periodic review and ongoing temperature monitoring lapse.
- Lift thorough examinations (LOLER). Routine maintenance is booked, but the separate six-monthly thorough examination is missed.
- Asbestos register and review. Pre-2000 blocks need a register and an annually reviewed management plan — often absent entirely in self-managed blocks.
- Fire door checks. The recurring communal and flat-entrance door checks introduced by the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 are frequently unknown to volunteer boards.
- Communal gas and electrical certification. Where there’s communal plant, annual gas safety and periodic EICR testing apply — easy to overlook if there’s no obvious “landlord.”
Our block compliance calendar guide explains each of these and how often they’re due.
Build a system, not a memory
The failure mode for self-managed blocks is relying on someone remembering. A workable system needs three things:
- A single register of every obligation, its last completion date and its next due date.
- A live status — what’s in date, what’s due soon, what’s overdue — visible to the whole board, not just the one director holding the folder.
- An audit trail — certificates and records you can produce on demand, for a sale, an insurer, or the regulator.
If that sounds like a spreadsheet, it can start as one. But spreadsheets don’t chase renewals or store certificates, which is why boards eventually want the recurring list handled for them.
Know where the liability sits
Self-management doesn’t move the duty. As our guide to RMC and RTM director responsibilities explains, the company — through its directors — remains accountable for making sure the work happens, whether or not an agent is involved. You can delegate the work; you can’t delegate the accountability.
The pragmatic middle path
Plenty of boards want to keep control of the money and decisions while handing off the statutory grind. That’s exactly what fixed-fee compliance is for: the board stays in charge, the recurring obligations are owned, scheduled and certified by a specialist, and everything shows live in one place. If you want a clear picture of where your block stands today, book a compliance review — we’ll map your obligations and flag the gaps.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Verify your building’s duties against current regulations and take professional advice where needed.