I was appointed as interim Chair of LEASE on 7th January. I am delighted to be able to help LEASE in this time of renewal of the organisation’s aims. I hope to ensure that LEASE is the first port of call for leaseholders, potential leaseholders and park home owners in England and Wales and that the organisation provides high quality information and initial advice to lay people.
There are clearly some problems in the leasehold sector, from rising ground rents, to issues with bad management, to the awful troubles with cladding in tower blocks. Some of these problems may require legislation to solve them. However, Brexit is taking up time and energy in government, so we may not see legislative changes for some time. This is understandable. But we can still make progress.
I want to make sure we remain relevant and one of the ways we will do this is a project called “Open Door” which I’ve initiated. This will involve us publishing data from the last five years on all the subjects we have advised on, and on the topics that are downloaded most on our website. This will help the government and others in the leasehold sector see the trends and problem areas that need focus. We intend to publish the data from now on every quarter.
Together, I believe we can solve many of the problems that leaseholders have.
Through this process the hardworking staff of LEASE will be ready to provide advice to those who need it. If you are a leaseholder in need of advice, please read the informative guides and frequently asked questions on our website. If you need further advice please book a telephone appointment or write to us. As always, you will get high quality, independent, free advice to help you find a way forward.
