link to ringley website
  • Home
  • About Us
    About us & leadership Awards Savings for Clients Case Studies Green Management Strategies Market Overview Leasehold Reform Campaign Money Back Guarantee
  • Our Services
    • Asset Management
      • UK Asset Management
      • Project Monitoring
      • ESG Consultancy & Implementation
      • PropTech & Living Sectors Platform
      • Marketing Insights
      • Resident Journey
      • Stabilised Assets
      • UK Build to Rent
      • UK Later Living
      • UK Co-Living
      • UK Student Accommodation
      • UK Single Family Housing
    • Block Management
      • Overview - London
      • Overview - Wales & West
      • Overview - Southwest
      • Right to Manage
      • Freehold Management
      • Resident Management
      • Estates of Houses
      • Ground Rent Collection
      • How to change agent?
      • Block Management Services
      • Can't afford an agent?
      • Legal & Tribunals
      • Top 10 Tips
      • Report an incident
    • Commercial Management
    • Law
      • Overview
      • Meet The Team
      • Recommendations
      • Right to Manage
      • Lease Extensions
      • Freehold Purchase
      • Absentee Freeholder
      • Court Appointed Manager
      • Conveyancing - Wales
      • Conveyancing - England
      • Service Charge/Rent Arrears Recovery
      • Company Secretary
    • Property Valuations
      • Overview
      • Loan Security
      • Company Accounts
      • Lease Extensions
      • Freehold Purchase
      • Rent Reviews
      • Ground Rent Investment
      • Development Valuations
      • Expert Witness & Litigation
      • Tax, Trusts & Accounts Valuations
      • Trading Business
      • Compulsory Purchase
      • Residential Valuations
    • Engineering
      • Overview
      • EWS1 Consultancy
      • Asbestos
      • Contract Administration
      • Fire Assesment
      • Homebuyer Survey
      • Building Survey
      • Schedules
      • Party Wall Matters
      • Principle Designer
      • Disability Access Audits
      • Small Building Works
      • Fire Door Inspection
      • Insurance Valuations
    • Property Accounting
      • Finance
      • Quote For Service Charge Accounts?
      • Property Accounting Law
      • Accounting Updates
      • To Audit or Not?
    • Plant & Facilities Management
      • Plant & Facilities Management
      • Fire Door Inspection APP
      • Fire Safety Update
    • Site Staffing Solutions
      • Ringley Integrated Site Staff Solutions
    • Leasehold Guidance
      • Overview
      • Right to Manage
      • Purchasing The Freehold
      • Court Appointed Manager
      • Absentee Freeholder
  • Insights
    Asset Management Articles Block Management Blogs Publications BTR Rental Market Blogs Customer Insights FAQ - Ask Our Experts Insurance Calculator
  • ESG
  • E-books
  • Get In Touch
  •    
  • Work with us
  •  
  • Portal Login
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill advances

Written by: Kate Robinson 15/02/2024
  540       1
Responsive image

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill advances

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill continues to be in the limelight. In accordance with the commitments made in the King's Speech, it was presented to Parliament on November 27, 2023.

So, what stage of the parliamentary process is the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill at?

Following its second reading in the House of Commons on December 11, the Public Bill Committee invited submissions of evidence by February 1, 2024. The 140-page draft bill aims to improve the rights and safeguards for owners of long-leasehold homes. It combines various reforms about leasehold and freehold that the government has advocated for several years. The proposed changes include improvements to leaseholders' right to manage, enfranchisement, lease extensions, and freehold estate management and will be applicable to England and Wales.

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill also aims to simplify and reduce the cost for current leaseholders of houses and flats when extending their lease or purchasing their freehold. The proposed reforms also aim to streamline and boost the marketability of these property types, making them easier to sell.

The bodies that have been involved in consultations on the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill are:

The Public Bill Committee has received input from the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership and the National Leasehold Campaign. Supplementary assessments from various property groups are anticipated later this week. The Labour Party, represented by Shadow Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook, has proposed amendments. One such amendment highlights establishing a residents' management company for new flats, facilitating leaseholders assuming control of block management.

According to Matthew Pennycock, Labour will seek to strengthen this unambitious piece of legislation to further advantage leaseholders. But it will fall to a Labour government to fundamentally and comprehensively overhaul the current system.

Ground rents and lessehold houses: ground rent is banned, will leasehold be banned for houses?

The opposition has questioned the absence of the initially promised ban on leasehold sales of houses in the initial legislation. However, there is hope that this aspect will be introduced during the committee stage.

Total ground rent reform: What proposals are being considered for ground rent reform in the UK?

A related consultation on reforming ground rents is set to conclude shortly. All the stakeholders, including agents, were encouraged to provide their feedback. The government is seeking opinions on several proposals. These include setting ground rents at a nominal amount, establishing a maximum financial limit for ground rents, capping ground rents as a percentage of property value, restricting ground rent in existing leases to the original amount granted, and freezing ground rent at current levels. This initiative follows a survey by the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners. The survey revealed that 80 percent of its members believe residential ground rents can adversely affect or have an undesirable impact on the sale of leasehold properties.

Respondents highlighted that property sales are often hampered because of mortgage providers' aversion to ground rent terms. Around 43 per cent of respondents pointed out that the comprehensive terms associated with ground rent payments are not transparently communicated during the property purchase process. Some leaseholders seem unaware that their ground rent may rise to a percentage of the market value of the property which can mean a ground rent of terms of thousands of pounds every year.

The next step for the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill is the Committee stage, scheduled for next week. During this stage, the Public Bill Committee will meticulously scrutinise the bill line-by-line and present its findings to the House of Commons by Thursday, February 1, 2024. After the Committee stage, amendments will be deliberated before the bill progresses to the Commons for a Third Reading. The outcome of the committee stage, with additional amendments and detailed comments, is eagerly anticipated.

What’s Next for the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill?

As the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill advances through Parliament, its impact on leaseholders and freeholders is expected to reshape the housing landscape in England and Wales. While the committee stage is crucial for refining the bill with amendments, the focus remains on reducing costs, improving marketability, and strengthening leaseholder rights. The ongoing consultations, political debates, and proposed amendments, including the potential ban on leasehold houses, will continue to influence the final form of the legislation. Leaseholders and property professionals alike are keenly awaiting the next steps in this transformative process.



Property Management Block Management
POPULAR POSTS

Solar panels on flats - what you need to know

Is noise getting you down?

Ground Rent: Fines for Landlords Who Charge Ground Rent

High Court: Right to Rent does breach human rights

Landlords beware - Don't believe everything you read!

RECENT POSTS

New Government Reforms Aim to Cut Red Tape and Revive the UK’s Nightlife and Hospitality Sector

Will AI help improve the UK's flood resilience?

The UK Government Takes Decisive Steps to Meet Its Target of Delivering 1.5 Million Homes

UK Leasehold Reform: Moving Towards Commonhold Ownership

Government to Introduce Single Construction Regulator by 2028 in Response to Grenfell Inquiry



Blogs related:

ASSET MANAGEMENT
Solar Panels:  how long will it take to get the money invested back, what is the breakeven timescale 
In recent years, the use of solar panels has gained significant traction as a means of reducing carbon emissions and transitioning towards renewable energy sources. However, the decision to invest in solar panels involves considerations related to environmental impact, financial benefits, end-of-life disposal, maintenance requirements, and ease of installation. Herein we explore the worth of solar panels from multiple perspectives, taking into...

Read


ASSET MANAGEMENT
What does the new Building Safety Bill mean for us all?
The new draft Building Safety Bill has been a long time coming. But we hope it will be a major step forward in improving levels of safety in residential blocks. The new legislation is based on the recommendations of Dame Judith Hackitts building safety review, which was carried out in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017. The Government accepted the review?s recommendations in full and today?s draft Bill, which sits alongside the F...

Read


ASSET MANAGEMENT
Trading Standards issues new guidance on listing properties to sell and let.
The National Trading Standards Estate & Letting Agency Team recently released updated guidance designed to enhance property-listing practices for agents, consumers, and relevant stakeholders. This guidance is specifically tailored to marketing residential properties for sale or rent and is founded on the principles of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. The primary objective of this guidance is to simplify propert...

Read


Meet our Expert Property Commentators

Mary-Anne Bowring FTPI FRICS FARLA FCABE Founder/Head of Asset Management

Strategic partnerships, holistic delivery/ opportunities, growth, value engineering, thought leadership

Ian Barber MD BTR Mobilisation & Leasing

Runs HQ & site lease-up teams. Drives rent pricing, mobilisation, marketing, happy residents!

Jon Curtis MRICS Head of Building Engineering

Chartered Building Surveyor. Lectures on EWS1 & building safety. Runs CapEx programmes.

Kate Robinson MTPI MD Blocks/FM Management (London Region)

Master plan setup, ops and staffing and resident engagement. ISO45001 champion.

Lee Harle Partner Ringley Law

Plot conveyancing. Debt litigation. Group Company Secretary.

Anthony Kingdon MIRPM AssocRICS MD Blocks/FM Management (North Region)

Stakeholder engagement. Mixed tenure specialist. Budget management. Plant audit, PPM compliance.

Chris Georgalis MRICS Head of Commercial Valuation

Chartered Valuer. Rental valuations: retail, leisure. IRR modelling and valuations for secured lending. Compulsory purchase & rent reviews

Nichola Pughe MRICS Head of Residential Valuation

Chartered Valuer. Rental development & mixed use valuations, IRR modelling. Leasehold enfranchisement specialist

Natalie Birmingham Helpdesk Support Manager

Trainer & Helpdesk Manager: people, systems,contractors. ISO45001 supply chain accreditation.

Steve Norman Planning Director

Land due diligence (opportunities & constraints) Has contributed to a number of award winning schemes.


inshights shared - link to planetrent blogs

Landlord blog
Read landlord blog
inshights shared - link to ringley blogs

Property blogs
Read property blogs
inshights shared - link to ringley articles

Property articles
Read property articles
inshights shared - link to ringley ebooks

E-books
Read E-books

link to ringley social media facebook link to ringley social media instagram link to ringley social media linkedin link to ringley social media x-twitter
link to ringley social media x-twitter for small device
link to ringley social media linkedin for small device
link to ringley social media instagram for small device
link to ringley social media facebook for small device
  • Ringley Group
  • About us
  • CSR / ESG
  • BusyLiving
  • PlanetRent
  • Talk to us
  • Careers
  • Ask a Question
  • Insights
  • Articles
  • Blogs
  • Subscribe
  • BTR & PRS Buildings
  • What we do
  • Asset Management
  • Block Management
  • Facilities Management
  • Property Law
  • Surveying / Valuation
  • Building Engineering
  • Financial Services
  • Managing Agents
  • Block Management Locations
  • Co-working
  • Renting & Letting
  • Right to Manage
  • Contractor Management
  • Space to Work
  • Fees and Client Money Protections
  • Email: solutions@ringley.co.uk

  • Emergency line 1: 0207 428 2056

  • Emergency line 2: 0207 267 2900

  • Report an incident
  • Our Offices
  • London
  • Ringley House
  • 1 Castle Road
  • London
  • NW1 8PR
  • T: 0207 267 2900
  • London
  • Ringley House
  • 47 Rochester Place
  • London
  • NW1 9JL
  • Manchester
  • 11 Swan Street
  • Northern Quarter
  • Manchester
  • M4 5JJ
  • T: 0330 174 7777
  • Cardiff
  • 122 West Bute Street
  • Cardiff Bay
  • Cardiff
  • CF10 5LJ
  • T: 0330 174 7747
Privacy Policy
Ringley Staff Dashboard
link to ifsm website link to tpi website link to tpos website link to rics website link to ukgbc website link to government security industry authority website link to alep website

All content © copyright 2025. Ringley Limited. All Rights reserved. Ringley Limited, incorporated and registered in England and wales. Registered office: Ringley House, 1 Castle Road, London, NW1 8PR. Company No. 03302438
Terms of use | Privacy Policy | Modern slavery act | COVID-19 risk assessment