LOCAL MP CALLS FOR AN END TO LEASEHOLD SYSTEM

The City of Chester MP has called on the Government to end the leasehold system.

Samantha Dixon MP supported Labour colleagues in demanding action be taken on the leasehold system, during a debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday (23^rd May). 

This follows the Government’s recent climb-down from its pledge in January to bring forward legislation to scrap most leaseholds in England this year. 

Leasehold ownership gives homeowners the right to live in a property for a fixed period, without owning the land the home is built on. There have been mounting concerns about practices in the leasehold sector, including hefty rises in ground rent. 

There is an estimated 4.86 million leasehold dwellings in England - equating to 20% of England’s housing stock. Of these, more than 1.5 million leasehold dwellings are located in the Northwest region. 

Labour brought forward a vote on a motion that would call on the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities – Michael Gove - to keep his promise “by ending the sale of new private leasehold houses, introducing a workable system to replace private leasehold flats with commonhold and enacting the Law Commission’s recommendations on enfranchisement, commonhold and the right to manage in full”. 

The motion passed after Ms. Dixon and Labour members voted in favour of the motion, whilst Conservatives abstained from the vote. 

City of Chester MP, Samantha Dixon said: “People’s lives are adversely affected by the Government’s continued delay to bring forward legislation to tackle leasehold. 

“This failure is resulting in leaseholders struggling to sell their properties, and the value of these properties continues to decline. 

“I was contacted by a Chester resident recently whose ground rent has been increased by more than 130% — pushing up their ground rent to £800. This is shameful and a serious burden during the ongoing cost of living crisis. 

“I commend the National Leasehold Campaign and the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership for their brilliant work to keep a spotlight on this issue. 

“Despite this being a 2019 manifesto commitment by the Government, successive Housing Secretaries will not tackle leasehold. It is but another broken promise from this Government.” 

Read more here:

Leasehold dwellings, 2021 to 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

Leasehold Reform - Hansard - UK Parliament