Government rules out immediate abolition of leasehold system in England and Wales
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Apr 29
Government rules out immediate abolition of leasehold system in England and Wales
8 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Apr 29
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said abolishing leasehold outright is "almost certainly impossible" due to legal and practical challenges affecting five million leases.
Instead, the government plans to empower leaseholders through reforms, including banning new leasehold flats, capping ground rents, and easing conversion to commonhold, aiming for a new framework before 2029.
Critics accuse Labour of backtracking on manifesto promises, while campaigners demand a binding timetable. Pennycook rejected claims of a landlord exodus ahead of new tenant protections under the Renters' Rights Act.
Is leasehold reform just a multi-billion pound wealth transfer from pension funds to buy-to-let landlords?
As no-fault evictions end next month, are courts ready for the inevitable surge in landlord disputes?
With new renter protections starting in May, how will discrimination against families actually be stopped?
Could the government's plan to cap ground rents inadvertently torpedo the value of UK pension funds?
Will a human rights lawsuit from wealthy freeholders derail the government's entire leasehold reform plan?
If commonhold is the future of flat ownership, why won't most banks offer a mortgage on it?