Leasehold Advisory Service submission to Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee inquiry into Leasehold Reform

September 2018

The key points of our submission are:

1. The Government’s programme of work on residential leasehold reform addresses themes that arise from subjects of enquiry raised by leaseholders with LEASE in recent years
2. Full benefit of the programme of work for existing leaseholders of flats and houses may depend on the Law Commission’s work on enfranchisement.
3. Ending the doctrine of forfeiture for residential leasehold should be introduced as further reform.
4. To help existing leaseholders with onerous terms, LEASE can provide ongoing support and also increase the capacity of other advice providers to intervene locally.
5. In the event that the variation of onerous leases cannot be progressed by negotiation between the original developers and current freeholders, then government should intervene.
6. Action by Government, where homeowners suffer detriment, due to an issue they were unaware of at the time of purchase, is not unprecedented.

Download LEASE’s full response here