Buildings insurance dispensation

Our new buildings insurance contract

Our buildings insurance contact came to an end in March 2024, and the new contract began on 1 April 2024. Due to an administrative error, you did not receive the required consultation.

We’ve submitted an application to the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) to get permission to be exempt from the usual consultation process. This is because it's important that we can deliver this service, comply with our obligations under the terms of your lease and recover the cost of doing so.

We’re required to provide a number of documents during the process. We’ll add these below as we get them:

Southern Tribunal Application

Application for dispensation for buildings insurance (PDF, 2MB)
First Tier Tribunal (FTT) directions (DOC, 115KB)
Statement of tribunal rules and procedures (DOC, 40KB)
Letter to respondents - Initial directions (DOC, 80KB)
Buildings insurance - dispensation letter to customers (DOC 130KB)
Tribunal Decision 2 August 2024 (DOC, 676KB)

London Tribunal Application

Applicant's Statement of Case (PDF, 350KB)
Witness Statement (PDF, 178KB)
Buildings insurance - dispensation letter to customers (DOC, 104KB)
London Tribunal Directions (DOC, 39KB)
Copy TRA Stage 1 NOI Buildings insurance (PDF, 139KB)
Stage 1 NOI Copy Buildings Insurance (PDF, 144KB)
Stage 2 NOE Buildings Insurance (PDF, 3MB)
TRA Building Insurance stage 2 NOE redacted (PDF, 293KB)
Signed Application (PDF, 2MB)
Hearing Bundle – London Tribunal (PDF, 28MB)

What's the Section 20 process?

This is the process we go through before we award any contracts for services or works. We have a helpful explainer video on our website which helps to explain the consultation process.
What's dispensation from Section 20?

If consultation processes haven't been followed, we can ask the Tribunal to give us permission to choose suppliers without the normal consultation.

The Tribunal reviews our application and if it decides there was no detriment to your rights under the consultation requirements, and that the service is required under the terms of your lease, they can agree that we don’t have to comply with the Section 20 process, granting us dispensation.

Dispensation can be used in emergency situations. Most organisations like Hyde will only use dispensation where there is an urgent need to ensure a service is delivered. You can read about the Tribunal process on the government’s website.
Will the First Tier Tribunal decide how much my service charges should be?

No. The Tribunal won’t decide if the contracts we award are reasonably priced, and won’t say that we can or can’t recharge these services to you. The Tribunal will only decide if we can comply with the requirements of Section 20 or not.

Please note it’s our responsibility to get the best deal for you. We don’t make any profit when we buy energy, we only recharge what we have to pay.
Will my service charges increase?

Please refer to your service charge estimates and statements for details around the cost of your building’s insurance.
Is this process going to affect the validity of my building’s insurance, or how I pay?

No. There will be no interruption to this service, and you’ll still pay your service charges in the same way.
What happens next?

We’ll make an application to the Tribunal and put a copy of the application and supporting documents here. We’ll use this page to update you on the application and confirm any Tribunal decisions or directions.

You’ll receive a letter from HM Courts and Tribunal Services detailing the application, any directions we’ve been given and details of how you can respond to the application if you’d like to. You don’t have to respond, and if you’re happy with our proposal you can just keep the documents for your records.