While it is a relatively quiet period for leasehold in terms of parliamentary progress, the subject has still been very much in the news spotlight recently.
A recent BBC Radio 4 You and Yours episode was dedicated to the issues facing leaseholders. Joining presenter Winifred Robertson in the studio was a Trustee from Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, who had himself needed to take a cladding case to the Court of Appeal, and described the process as a nightmare.
Other leaseholders called in to the programme, describing their personal experiences of leaseholder issues. These included a man who had purchased a flat in Manchester, which had subsequently dropped significantly in value as no mortgage company would lend on the building, making it impossible to sell unless it was to a cash buyer at a huge loss.
Another lady explained the issues she was having trying to sell her (recently deceased) parent’s retirement flat, which she is unable to sell due to the rising service charges. Despite the flat being empty she still had to pay the full service charge and had been told she is unable to sub-let the property.
A further caller was offered a lease extension for £148,000, and having spent £1,000s on surveyor and solicitor fees, the freeholder changed their mind regarding the extension, leaving them unable to extend or sell. She explained that thousands of leaseholders are stuck in the same position of not being able to sell, and that they were all desperate for the government’s reforms to come in.
Unfortunately for those leaseholders stuck in that position, the government reforms will be held up by the news that the group of six large freeholders can appeal the decision in their legal challenge against the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act, which was dismissed last year – and they aren’t the only group of freeholders looking at legal routes to try and stymy the government.
Also in the news is the launch of a new campaigning group against the government’s reforms, called Justice for Property Rights. The group is a coalition of around 200 property investors, retirees and freeholders, which is calling on the government to not penalise their property interests.
The group is reportedly taking legal advice about bringing a collective action to the European Court of Human Rights, claiming that the reforms could result in losses to freeholders in excess of £30 billion. In an attempt to turn the table on the standard wealthy freeholder versus poor leaseholder narrative, the group questions why they, as UK taxpayers, should bear these potential liabilities, especially when a large percentage of these gains will flow to wealthy leaseholders in central London.
The Spectator has also been focused on leasehold, with a new podcast titled: How the leasehold mafia screwed a generation of homeowners. Unsurprisingly with that title, the podcast was not particularly even-handed. The Spectator’s Economics Editor was in conversation with Harry Scoffin, the founder from Free Leaseholders. Scoffin explained how in the early 2000s offshore property interests piled in to purchase freeholds, losing the personal touch and relationships that had previously existed between freeholders and leaseholders. This new generation of freeholders then looked to sweat their investment, resulting in spiraling service charges and ground rents. The essence of Scoffin’s argument was that “homes are for people, not corporations”.
The consultation on the banning of leasehold for new flats has also been a subject of debate, with the consultation exercise closing on 24 April. While certainly one of the less controversial measures in the government’s reform plans, there is growing concern online about the impact the proposed ban will have on recent new builds that are leasehold and their value in the market compared to new flats being sold as commonhold.
So, while Parliamentary activity on leasehold reform has been fairly quiet, the topic is very much still being kept on the news agenda and is likely to remain there for some time to come.
Mark Chick is the Joint Head of our expert Landlord & Tenant team.
If you have a query concerning leasehold property, then please contact the experts at Bishop & Sewell’s Landlord & Tenant team by emailing leasehold@bishopandsewell.co.uk or call on 020 7631 4141.
The above is accurate as at 27 April 2026.
The information above may be subject to change. The content of this note should not be considered legal advice and each matter should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
