New report highlights the complex challenges facing some shared owners

New research commissioned by the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) highlights the complex and interconnected issues experienced by some shared owners and the impact these can have on their finances, ability to move and wellbeing.

Drawing on almost 800 enquiries from shared owners in 2025/26 – alongside 5 years of wider enquiry data – the report shows how the structure of shared ownership can create particular challenges, including around staircasing, buy-backs or resales, lease extensions and subletting.

Shared owners also report many of the same issues as other leaseholders, such as service charges, building repairs and redress. For some, these can combine with issues specific to the tenure, adding to financial pressures and making problems more difficult to resolve.

Many shared owners are paying a mortgage, rent and service charges at the same time, so unexpected costs or delays can be particularly hard to manage.

The report includes examples of the difficult situations shared owners can face when problems arise, from trying to sell or extend a lease to dealing with serious disrepair or changing circumstances. It explores how these issues can affect people in practice, including when illness, disability or bereavement make an already difficult situation more complex to navigate.

“Shared ownership can provide an important route into home ownership for people who might otherwise be unable to buy. But it is also a complex form of home ownership, and when something goes wrong, people need to be able to understand their options and get the help they need.

“This report shows why clear information matters throughout the shared ownership journey. People need to understand what they are buying from the outset, know their rights and responsibilities, and be able to get clear explanations and timely responses from their landlord or managing agent when questions or problems arise.

“By bringing together the issues shared owners raise with us, we can build a clearer picture of where shared ownership is not working well for the people who come to us and share those insights with government and the wider sector. We hope this report will contribute to a better understanding of how shared ownership is experienced in practice.”

LEASE is hosting a roundtable on Tuesday 13 October 2026, bringing together government, shared ownership groups and sector bodies to discuss the findings and consider practical priorities for improving the experience of shared owners.

Shared ownership insight report