With the return to parliament last week, and Andy Burnham’s first PMQs, I was pleased to see that leasehold reform was not far from the main agenda.
According to the BBC, reform in leasehold is going to be one of the four pillars that promise to shape his premiership. Along with devolution of power away from Westminster, defence spending and climate change, he has promised to deliver on the Labour Party’s 2024 election manifesto commitment to “finally bring the feudal leasehold system to an end”.
We now have a Prime Minister who has a background and experience that is perhaps more relevant to property, given his time as Greater Manchester’s Mayor.
In Manchester 2017, Mr Burnham introduced a ‘Good Landlord Charter’ to drive up standards in rented accommodation in Manchester and employed a 10-strong enforcement team to tackle poor quality private rental housing, acting against landlords who did not maintain their properties appropriately.
His efforts saw a 43% increase in financial penalties against landlords, raising £1.47 million. Also, the year before Labour’s election victory, he advocated for a range of measures that made it into Renter’s Rights Act 2025.
Injecting positivity
Andy Burnham says that he wants to inject “positivity” into an increasingly fractured political landscape and clearly sees tackling the ‘consumer’ issues arising in leasehold as part of this.
The CLRB where next?
The draft Leasehold and Commonhold Bill (CLRB) will be tabled during this session of parliament with a view to commencement by 2028. We have the published response of government to the Select Committee’s Report following the public consultation and the next big question is what form the CLRB will take when it receives its first reading.
This is particularly pertinent given that the Select Committee recommended also including all of the Law Commission’s remaining recommendations. This would make for a much larger piece of legislation than first intended and no doubt also make its progress through parliament slower.
Matthew Pennycook has also previously said that he favoured two separate pieces of legislation and so, it may be that we will see a second broader reforming piece of legislation.
The CLRB has a lot in it, including the proposed ban the sale of new leasehold properties, the cap on ground rents at £250, to say nothing of the new and reinvigorated Commonhold. All in all, lots to look forward to as part of our autumn reading.
My verdict on the first week.
Mr Burnham is right to have these reforms top of his in-tray, as there has been much expectation in the long leasehold space. Property owners, (both leaseholders and freeholders) need to know where they will stand.
The wider property market could also do with a confidence boost and certainty around these key issues will help with that. The prospect of a newly invigorated commonhold as a new species of land tenure may help with the longer term ‘feelgood agenda.’ Here’s hoping.
Onwards to the next set of PMQs and what the parties have to say about leasehold during conference season.
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 07.09.2027
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.
