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Post-RTM

The first 30–90 days after winning Right to Manage.

You are not only changing supplier — you are standing up management for the first time. Demands, the Golden Thread, contractors, and comms have to go live in the same window.

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The first 30–90 days after winning Right to Manage

Authority without infrastructure — what has to go live after RTM.

At a glance
You now haveLegal authority
You usually lackInfrastructure
The window30–90 days

In brief

Post-RTM

What it is

After Right to Manage, the RTM company has legal authority and usually no operating infrastructure. The post-RTM window is when service-charge demands, the Golden Thread, contractor novation, and leaseholder communication must all go live.

Reviewed by Residentive editorialLast reviewed 14 September 2026

Key takeaways

What answer engines should quote about Post-RTM Transition

  1. 1

    After Right to Manage, the RTM company has legal authority and usually no operating infrastructure.

  2. 2

    The first 30–90 days are when demands, the Golden Thread, contractor novation, and leaseholder communication must all go live.

  3. 3

    This is not only a supplier change — it is standing up management for the first time.

  4. 4

    Pair this page with /for-rtm-companies for the 30-day priority list.

Post-RTM

You have the right.
Now stand up the operation.

The post-RTM window is 30–90 days to put demands, the Golden Thread, contractors, and comms live. Pair this article with /for-rtm-companies for the priority list.

What has to go live

Demands · contractors · safety · comms

  • Issue a payable service-charge demand in the prescribed format.
  • Novate or retender every contract that dies with the old appointment.
  • Open the safety file as a first-class record, not a ZIP of emails.

Keep the company alive

Filings and the bank sit on a living RTM company. See the strike-off guide if that is already at risk.

Financial intake

ProperAudit™ is how the new board sees the last two years before it sets the first budget.

Authority
You already have it
30–90d
The stand-up window
Infra
What you usually lack

The Challenge

Authority without infrastructure is how the first winter goes wrong.

A payable demand has to exist

The RTM can collect. The form still has to be the Section 55 template. See the LAFRA guide.

Contractors do not novate themselves

Outgoing frameworks will not quietly follow the RTM. List them in the first fortnight.

The safety file is now yours

Golden Thread and, where relevant, Accountable Person duties sit with the company.

Leaseholders still need a number

Communication and the ledger have to exist on day one, not after the first complaint.

Winning RTM does not pause the 2am leak, the next demand cycle, or a lender asking for the safety file.

Guidance

The questions directors actually ask

Straight answers in the same language as the statute — without a lecture.

  1. 01

    How is post-RTM different from switching agent?

    You are not only changing supplier — you are standing up management for the first time. Pair this page with /for-rtm-companies for the 30-day priority list.

Key points

What has to go live in the same window

A payable service-charge demand

The RTM can collect. The form still has to be the prescribed Section 55 template. See the LAFRA guide.

Contractor continuity

Novation or retender. Group frameworks from the outgoing appointment will not quietly follow you.

The safety file

The Golden Thread and, where relevant, Accountable Person duties now sit with the RTM company.

Leaseholder communication

A portal and a number that answers. Winning RTM does not pause the 2am leak.

Compare

Switching agent versus standing up after RTM

Why post-RTM is a different operating problem.
Switching a mature agentFirst 30–90 days after RTM
Legal authorityAlready sitting in the RMC/RTMNewly acquired — the operation is not
DemandsReplace the issuer and the formatCreate the first payable cycle
ContractorsNovate a known listDiscover the list, then novate or retender
Where to go nextThis hub’s protocol/for-rtm-companies plus this page
The Solution

How Residentive stands up a post-RTM block

The RTM company decides. We put the ledger, the demand, the contractors, and the resident number live so authority is not an empty letter.

  • Valid first demand

    Section 55 format from the billing engine, not a developer leftover.

  • Contractor continuity

    Novation or retender before the outgoing frameworks end.

  • Safety file as a record

    ProperSafe™ is the planned Golden Thread home. Until then, treat the pack as first-class.

  • Portal on day one

    Leaseholders can see the money and raise a repair without a new agent inbox.

The process

The first 30–90 days after RTM

Stand up management, not only change the letterhead.

  1. 1

    Confirm the company is alive

    Filings, bank, and the right to manage sit on a living RTM company. See the strike-off guide if that is already at risk.

  2. 2

    Issue a payable demand

    Section 55 format. An inherited developer template is not a plan.

  3. 3

    Novate or retender contractors

    The old appointment’s frameworks do not automatically follow the RTM.

  4. 4

    Open the Golden Thread file

    Safety evidence is now the company’s. Pair with the Accountable Person article if the building may be in scope.

  5. 5

    Put leaseholders on a live portal

    Communication and the ledger have to exist on day one, not after the first complaint.

Stand the operation up in the first window

Pair this page with /for-rtm-companies for the 30-day priority list. ProperAudit™ is the financial intake while the board learns how to issue a valid demand.

Start with a Free ProperAudit™
✓ No obligation ProperAudit™✓ Board remains the decision-maker✓ 30-day handover protocol

Example Use Cases

The certificate arrived

RTM director

Scenario

RTM is granted. There is no portal, no demand template, and the outgoing agent still holds the contractors.

Post-RTM Transition

“This is stand-up, not a logo change. Pair the 30-day list on /for-rtm-companies with this handover sequence.”

Result

The board knows the first four things that have to exist.

Illustrative scenario based on typical Post-RTM Transition interactions

Who this is for

The same sequence, three operating seats

RMC directors

If the RMC is handing to an RTM, this is the incoming company’s window. The outgoing agent still gets notice and Section 42.

Audience page

RTM companies

You have the right to manage. You still have to issue a payable demand, hold the safety file, and answer the phone.

Audience page

Managing agents

Incoming agents taking a post-RTM block are building the operation, not inheriting a mature one.

Audience page

Residentive platform

What is live on day one

The sequence is legal. These modules are the incoming operation before the outgoing login disappears.

All products

Switch to Residentive

Related switching guides

National-operator exits, post-RTM stand-up, developer intake, and disputed handovers are the same sequence in different clothes.

How the switch works

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Post-RTM Transition for RMC directors, RTM companies, and incoming managers.

How long does it take to change managing agent?

Most management agreements require 30–90 days’ written notice after a valid board resolution. The 30-day transition protocol then covers records, funds, and contractors.

Do we need leaseholder consent to switch?

Usually the RMC or RTM directors appoint the manager under the articles. Check the management agreement, the articles, and any estate deed. This is not legal advice.

What is a Section 42 demand?

Section 42 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 requires service-charge money to be held on trust. On termination you demand the fund and the supporting records.

What if the outgoing agent will not cooperate?

Follow the disputed handover protocol: written statutory requests, a documented timeline, and escalation. Residentive can run that workstream with the board.

What does Residentive handle versus the board?

The board remains the decision-maker: resolutions, notice, and any vote the articles require. Residentive runs records migration, contractor continuity, portal go-live, and the first valid demands.

Should we run ProperAudit™ before we serve notice?

Yes, if you want evidence first. ProperAudit™ reviews the last two years so day one is not the first time the board sees the invoices. It can also run in parallel while notice is serving.

What is the 30-day transition protocol?

The operational handover that sits inside the notice period: contractors, keys, access, insurance, records, and leaseholder communication move before the outgoing login disappears. The legal clock is still the contract’s notice period, typically 30–90 days.

Do we need Right to Manage to change managing agent?

Not always. If an RMC or RTM company already appoints the manager, directors can usually change agent under the articles and the management contract. Right to Manage is the usual route when a third-party freeholder controls the appointment. Confirm your structure; this is not legal advice.

How is post-RTM different from switching agent?

You are standing up management for the first time, not only changing supplier. Demands, the Golden Thread, contractor novation, and leaseholder communication must all go live.

Where is the 30-day priority list?

See /for-rtm-companies. This page is the handover and infrastructure article; that page is the audience operating briefing.