Service Charge Disputes Are Rising — How Missing PPM Is Often the Root Cause
Service charge disputes and PPM are now closely linked across commercial property. In 2026, occupiers are challenging their service charges more frequently and more rigorously than ever before. While rising costs and tighter operating margins play a part, many disputes have a deeper cause: missing or outdated Preventative Planned Maintenance (PPM). When PPM isn’t robust, service charge budgets become reactive, unpredictable and far harder to defend.
Why service charge disputes are increasing
Occupiers are operating in a more cost-conscious environment. Business rates, energy costs, staffing and fit-out expenses have risen, so every outgoing is under scrutiny — including service charge expenditure.
At the same time, compliance demands have grown. Fire safety requirements, sustainability targets, and broader building management expectations have increased the complexity (and cost) of running assets efficiently.
The outcome is a market where tenants want clarity: what they are paying for, why costs have increased, and whether major items could have been anticipated. If those questions can’t be answered clearly, a dispute becomes much more likely.
How missing PPM creates conflict
Preventative Planned Maintenance is designed to remove surprises from building management. A good PPM schedule sets out what assets exist, their condition, expected lifespan, and when maintenance or replacement should occur — so budgets are built on evidence rather than assumptions.
When PPM is missing or out of date, buildings drift into reactive management. Assets are left to run until they fail. Emergency call-outs become the norm, contractor rates are higher, and work is carried out under time pressure. Those costs then feed through to service charge accounts with little warning, often creating sudden spikes that occupiers are unwilling to accept.
Why disputes often start after a breakdown
Most disputes don’t begin with a spreadsheet — they begin with something failing.
- A cooling system fails in summer
- A lift breaks down repeatedly
- A roof leak returns for the third time
- Fire safety systems require urgent works
The invoice lands, it’s larger than expected, and tenants understandably ask why the issue wasn’t foreseen. Without a credible PPM, condition data, or lifecycle plan to rely on, it becomes difficult to demonstrate that the cost was planned and unavoidable rather than unexpected and poorly managed.
PPM is no longer just maintenance — it’s evidence
In today’s environment, PPM supports service charge defensibility as much as it supports operational performance. A well-managed PPM programme helps to:
- Demonstrate good asset management through inspections, condition ratings and forward planning
- Show that costs were foreseeable by linking expenditure to lifecycle expectations
- Create transparency so occupiers can understand what they are paying for, when and why
Without this framework, even legitimate costs can appear arbitrary — which is exactly what drives disputes.
The 2026 reality for landlords and managing agents
Service charge disputes are becoming a structural feature of a more regulated, cost-sensitive and commercially aware market. Landlords and managing agents who want to stay ahead are investing in:
- Accurate asset registers
- Condition-led PPM schedules
- Lifecycle cost planning
- Clear links between maintenance strategy and service charge budgets
This approach reduces surprises, improves budget accuracy, and makes costs far easier to explain and defend.
How HORDE supports defensible service charges
At HORDE, we work with landlords, asset managers and managing agents to turn PPM into a practical, evidence-led strategy that stands up to scrutiny. Our support includes:
- Building and asset surveys
- Asset verification and condition assessments
- Planned maintenance schedules
- Lifecycle cost modelling
- Service charge defensibility support
If you’re seeing more scrutiny from occupiers — or you’re worried about the next major failure landing in your budget — it’s usually a sign your PPM needs a refresh. Getting it right now is far easier than trying to justify it after something has already gone wrong.
Want to sense-check your PPM and service charge strategy for 2026?
Get in touch with our team to arrange an initial conversation.