A newly restructured All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform is expected to drive key policy discussions throughout 2025. With four co-chairs drawn from across party lines and 83 members, the group’s mission is to reshape how leasehold and commonhold are handled in the UK.

Who is on the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform?

The APPG now includes Amanda Hack, Neil O’Brien, Joseph Powell, and Joshua Reynolds as co-chairs. Their election marks a fresh start following the general election and the departure of former co-chair Mike Amesbury.

While the current membership is lower than that of the previous Parliament, the group still includes former housing ministers and seasoned policymakers.

What are the aims of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform?

One of the APPG’s top priorities is to engage directly with trade bodies that represent property managers. Suspension of FirstPort Block Management drives need for leasehold regulation

Concerns have grown in recent years about the failures of self-regulation, especially after controversy surrounding one of the UK’s largest leasehold management firms. That firm, FirstPort Block, Estate and Property Managers was under suspension by its trade body earlier this year, a fact not publicly disclosed at the time. It was the The Property Institute TPI (formerly ARMA the Association of Residential Managing Agents) who suspended FirstPort following independent adjudication following a break of membership rules for a period of three months from 13th December 2024.

Arguably the set up of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform is a response to a consortium of Freeholders challenging some of the leasehold reform provisions at the Court of Appeal

Alongside scrutiny of management practices, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform group is turning attention to wider reform, including legislation and legal barriers currently slowing progress. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 made lease extensions easier and capped ground rents for enfranchisement, but several of its key measures are under legal challenge.

Judicial review of proposed leasehold reforms continues in the Court of Appeal

Six large freehold-owning landlords are pursuing a judicial review, claiming that some provisions, particularly the removal of marriage value and the setting of ground rents at 0.1 per cent, violate their rights to property. As long as this case remains unresolved, further legislative action remains limited.

Read more about this in our blog here https://ringley.co.uk/blogs/high-court-grants-judicial-review-on-leasehold-reform-challenge

Landlords set to pay leaseholders costs in leasehold reform legislation

The government has committed to introducing secondary legislation that will address unfairness in leasehold legal cost structures. Under current rules, leaseholders are rarely able to recover legal fees, while landlords often are, due to clauses embedded in leases.

Changes to this arrangement are pending, alongside long-awaited updates to the right to manage and protections for homeowners on private estates.

The APPG is positioning itself to influence the shape of these reforms. By gathering views from leaseholders, professionals, and trade bodies, the group aims to provide timely input as the government prepares a new draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill.

That bill is due to be released in the second half of 2025. It is expected to include proposals to ban leasehold flats, strengthen commonhold, and regulate ground rents for current leaseholders.

A white paper released earlier this year outlined the government’s ambition to revive commonhold as the standard form of ownership in England and Wales.

While the proposals look to end new leasehold developments, actual conversion to commonhold cannot advance until the legal dispute over the 2024 Act is resolved.

The APPG continues to keep political pressure on ministers by ensuring leasehold reform remains in public debate. Its members frequently highlight the delays caused by legal proceedings and the need for interim measures. In doing so, the group hopes to keep momentum going, despite the temporary freeze on more complex aspects of reform. Another focus is educating leaseholders on their rights and encouraging them to participate in the policy process. The Leasehold Knowledge Partnership provides the APPG secretariat, which plays a central role in organising meetings and setting priorities.

While it does not have legislative power, the APPG’s influence lies in its ability to shape government proposals, gather evidence from those affected, and hold the relevant departments to account. With the next phase of reform on the horizon, its role in the coming months will be vital.

The success of future legislation, particularly in making commonhold workable and ending outdated leasehold practices, will depend not only on legal clarity but also on the level of support and scrutiny applied by MPs and peers involved in the APPG.

FAQs

What is the APPG on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform?

It is a cross-party group of MPs and peers focused on improving laws related to leasehold and promoting commonhold as a better alternative. Members include: Amanda Hack, Neil O’Brien, Joseph Powell, and Joshua Reynolds as co-chairs

Why are leasehold reforms currently delayed?

A legal challenge from six major landlords is blocking progress, arguing parts of the 2024 Act breach their rights. Until the case is resolved, further changes are on hold. Read more about this in our blog here https://ringley.co.uk/blogs/leasehold-reform-criticism-grows-amid-labour-governments-delayed-actions

What changes are expected in the draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill?

The draft bill, due later in 2025, will aim to strengthen leaseholders’ rights, regulate ground rents, and revive commonhold as a viable form of property ownership.