Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Leasehold Reform

Monday 9 June 2025 · 6 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 6 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial engagement on leasehold reforms and service charges is ongoing.
  • The Government aims to provide existing leaseholders with greater rights and protections.
  • Consultation will take place this year on implementing measures to protect residential freeholders.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Chris McDonald Lab Stockton North
Housing Local Government
Context

Chris McDonald raised concerns about the service charges at the Willow Sage Court estate in his constituency.

Question

I thank the Minister for his positive engagement with me on the issue of a safe crossing at roads on the Wynyard and Queensgate estates in my constituency, but can I also bring to his attention the issue of service charges at the Willow Sage Court estate? Does he agree that our leasehold reforms must ensure fair service charges? I can send him further information about this case if he wishes.

Answer from The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that point, and I would like further information on that case. The Government recognise the considerable financial strain that rising service charges place on leaseholders and tenants. Overcharging through service charges is completely unacceptable. We intend to consult in the very near future on the measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 designed to drive up the transparency of service charges to make them more easily challengeable if leaseholders consider them to be unreasonable.

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Q2 David Pinto-Duschinsky Lab Hendon
Housing
Context

David Pinto-Duschinsky acknowledged the government's actions but asked about protections for existing leaseholders, including on conversion of leaseholds and ground rents.

Question

I congratulate the Government on the bold action they are taking to end the feudal leasehold system for good, which will ensure that future flat owners will never again be treated as second-class homeowners. But as the Minister is well aware, there are millions of existing leaseholders, including thousands in my constituency of Hendon. Will he update the House on the work the Department is doing, building on the path forward outlined in the commonhold White Paper, to strengthen protections for existing leaseholders, including on the conversion of leaseholds, ground rents and right to manage?

Answer from The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)

The Government remain committed to providing existing leaseholders with greater rights, powers and protections over their homes. We commenced the right-to-manage measures contained in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 on 3 March. We remain firmly committed to tackling unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and we will deliver that in legislation. We will set out further detail on our proposed approach to enabling the conversion of existing leaseholds to commonhold in our draft leasehold and commonhold reform Bill later this year.

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Q3 Minns Lab Carlisle
Economy Housing Local Government
Context

Ms Minns highlighted the issue of estate management fees in her constituency, particularly for residents on Brackenleigh, Greymoor Meadows, and Denton Mill estates.

Question

Inflation-busting estate management fees for little or no service plague residents across the country, including those of the Brackenleigh, Greymoor Meadows and Denton Mill estates in my Carlisle constituency. What assurances can the Minister give my constituents and those of other hon. Members that the Government’s actions will curb those atrocious practices by estate management companies?

Answer from The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that point; I recognise that many hon. Members across the House are affected by this issue. The Government remain committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed tenure housing estates from unfair charges. We will consult this year on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act’s new consumer protection provisions for the millions of homes subject to the charges affecting my hon. Friend’s constituents, and we will bring measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter.

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Q4 Richard Holden Con Basildon and Billericay
Housing
Context

Mr Holden asked about the inclusion of freeholders in any legislation concerning unfair service charge increases.

Question

I am glad to see the Government starting to tackle some of these issues. Will the Minister assure me that people on freehold housing estates with covenant issues in places like Basildon and Billericay will also be included in any legislation? They often face service charge increases of tens of per cent every single year, and they need that same assurance being provided to leaseholders that the Government will think about that and take action.

Answer from The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)

I assure the right hon. Gentleman that the Government are thinking about the plight of residential freeholders alongside leaseholders. As I just said, we will consult this year on implementing the provisions in the 2024 Act, which provides those residential freeholders with new consumer protection provisions. They will have that immediate safety to come in, as we look at how we reduce the prevalence of such arrangements in the longer term.

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Q5 Josh Babarinde Lib Dem Eastbourne
Housing
Context

Babarinde raised concerns about leaseholders facing extortionate bills for balcony repairs and poor communication from management companies.

Question

Leaseholders at South View on Upperton Road in Eastbourne face an extortionate bill of up to £40,000 each to repair unsafe balconies. The communication from Morgans and Stredder Pearce, who are both responsible for fixing that, has been woeful, and delays are leading to costs spiralling further. Will the Minister urge those organisations to improve the speed and responsiveness of their communications to protect South View’s leaseholders from further costs?

Answer from The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that case. I recognise the problem that he alludes to. We want to bring in as soon as possible measures to standardise service charges in particular and make them more transparent. I wonder if he might write to me and the Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham North and Kimberley (Alex Norris), who is responsible for building safety, with details of that case so that we can look into it further.

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Q6 Robin Swann Ulster Unionist Party South Antrim
Housing Local Government
Context

Swann raised the issue of developers creating facility and management companies with new homeowners becoming shareholders without their consent.

Question

Developers are now creating facility and management companies, with new homeowners and tenants finding themselves as shareholders without their consent. Will the Minister look at that issue across the country to protect those homeowners?

Answer from The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)

If I have understood the hon. Gentleman correctly, he pointed to how a variety of arrangements can be put in place under freehold estates; we need to capture that variety across the country. That is one of the challenges in looking at what measures we might bring forward to reduce the prevalence of such arrangements, and we certainly intend to do that.

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