Capping ground rents is no way to help leaseholders Opinion The government’s plans to reform leasehold will deter investment in property and leave flat owners to pay the bill for the building safety agenda, says Natalie Chambers Governments in market economies are generally cautious about interfering in existing contracts, for good reason. Once that principle is weakened, confidence is difficult to restore. The draft Commonhold [...]
Budget fails to dampen commercial property activity Property Leasing and investment demand for commercial real estate remained high in the last few months of 2025, as the industry swerved Budget uncertainty that rattled the housing market. While growth in demand was slightly tempered by speculation surrounding tax changes, year-on-year figures remained robust among individual spaces. Office space investment demand reported a four per [...]
Ban on new leasehold flats ‘doesn’t go far enough’ Property The government’s newly released whitepaper promises to ban the sale of new leasehold flats, but campaigners say the policy will not provide enough relief for current leaseholders. Labour said the plans mark the start of commonhold, rather than leasehold, being the “default tenure” in the UK. “These reforms mark the beginning of the end for [...]
Labour must remember investors when reforming leasehold February 21, 2025 Given that many properties are directly or indirectly owned by pension funds, getting leasehold reform wrong risks destabilising the property markets, transferring value to foreign investors and undermining the UK’s attractiveness, says Natalie Chambers The government’s rhetoric on harnessing institutional capital as a driver for economic growth is welcome. In the coming months, the government [...]
A short history of leasehold, and why it’s taken so long to end the ‘feudal’ system July 20, 2024 In the King’s Speech, the Government finally outlined plans to phase the “feudal” system out of England and Wales. Here's why it took so long
Leasehold reforms set to be walked back after investor lobbying March 25, 2024 Plans to cap ground rents on leasehold properties are set to be walked back after lobbying from pension funds and investors, according to reports.
Leasehold and rental reforms slated as ‘contentious’ and ‘destabilising’ February 29, 2024 The government has come under fire for its flagship housing reforms, with developments to new laws on leasehold reform and rental rights branded “contentious” and “destabilising”.
King’s Speech: What to expect from the State Opening of Parliament? November 6, 2023 King Charles will make his first King’s Speech in Parliament on Tuesday as he outlines the government’s legislative agenda for the next year.
Government to ‘announce plans to phase out leasehold’ in King’s Speech October 29, 2023 All new houses across England and Wales will have to be sold as freeholds, as part of a Leasehold Bill led by Michael Gove, and expected to be announced in the King's Speech, according to the Sunday Times.
Leaseholders to gain new rights under FCA insurance reforms April 21, 2023 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed insurance reforms to protect leaseholders from paying extortionate sums for insurance. Under the new plans, leaseholders will be defined as “customers of buildings insurance” and insurance firms will be obliged to act in the leaseholders’ best interests. A leaseholder is someone who has bought the right to live [...]