Section 20 Consultation Timeline Calculator
Enter your intended start date and get the full 3-stage Section 20 consultation timeline with deadlines and required actions at each stage. Based on the statutory minimum periods under the Service Charges (Consultation Requirements) Regulations 2003.
How this calculator works
This calculator lays out a Section 20 consultation under the Service Charges (Consultation Requirements) (England) Regulations 2003. Two of the four periods are fixed by the regulations; two are planning estimates and are labelled as such on the timeline. It covers qualifying works where the cost to any leaseholder exceeds £250.
The two notice stages each carry a "relevant period", which regulation 2 defines as "the period of 30 days beginning with the date of the notice". The date of the notice is day 1, so a period beginning on the date shown ends 29 days later — it is not measured from the date a leaseholder receives the notice. The calculator uses a 21-day estimate for obtaining estimates, which has no statutory minimum; your actual timeline may vary depending on how quickly contractors provide quotes.
Important — which periods are law and which are not. The two 30-day observation windows are statutory: regulation 2 fixes the "relevant period" for each notice stage. The time to obtain estimates and the time to appoint a contractor are not prescribed by the regulations at all — the figures used here are planning estimates so the timeline has a shape, and your own will differ. Build further slack in for postal delays, contractor scheduling and leaseholder responses.
Managing a Section 20 consultation?
LevyBoard runs the whole consultation — the three notices, the observation period, and the record of every response.
Free for 30 days, no card needed, and nothing is charged during the trial. To carry on after that, add a card before it ends.
This tool is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice.