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Long-awaited legislation to abolish England’s “feudal” leasehold property system will be published in the second half of next year, the government has confirmed in a major update for the millions of people affected.

In a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS), housing minister Matthew Pennycook gave the first details of how quickly Labour intend to axe the controversial form of homeownership, as promised in their manifesto.

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The minister said there will be a consultation and white paper early next year to get the plan in motion, with the aim to make commonhold “the default tenure” by the end of parliament in 2029.

The news has drawn a mixed reaction from those caught up in the system, with some hailing an end in sight and others saying it is too little too late.

What is leasehold?

Leasehold is a centuries-old form of tenure that is unique to England and Wales. People who buy their home with a lease buy the right to live there for a given number of years but don’t own the land itself, regardless of whether it is a house, or a flat in a building.

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That is the preserve of the freeholder, who can charge expensive ground rents simply for owning the land, as well as service charges for the maintenance and insurance of the properties.

There have long been concerns around leaseholders being exploited, especially by unregulated managing agents who are typically contracted to oversee the day-to-day running of buildings and can charge large fees on any works they arrange.

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Michael Gove in 2023: Leasehold ‘unfair form of property ownership’.

Criticism intensified after the building safety scandal that emerged post-Grenfell with many homeowners facing crippling bills for remediation, leaving them stuck in worthless properties they cannot sell.

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‘I see no way out’

That’s the case for leaseholder Peter Batt, who has not been able to live in his “once lovely” flat in Kent for the past nine months because the roof of the building has “completely failed and is disintegrating”.

This has caused damp, black mould and leaks so severe his neighbour’s ceiling below him has collapsed

The problems were raised to the building’s managing agents in February but no remediation has occurred.

Hole in the roof at Priory Courtyard
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Hole in the roof at Mr Batt’s building

Hole in the ceiling due to leaks
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Hole in the ceiling due to leaks

Black mould on Mr Batt's bathroom wall
Image:
Black mould on Mr Batt’s bathroom wall

Last week he was told he’d need to cough up £18,000 for his share of the works before any repairs can go ahead – money the 60-year-old doesn’t have.

“I genuinely see no way out unless I win the lottery, it’s been an utter nightmare”, he told Sky News.

Mr Batt and his neighbours want a temporary tin hat cover to be prioritised, given this was recommended by surveyors back in April to stop the situation deteriorating – which they say it now has.

Broken ceiling in Priory Courtyard
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Broken ceiling in Mr Batt’s neighbour’s flat

Ceiling hole
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Ceiling hole


Peter Batt, 60
Image:
Peter Batt, 60

But they have “no say over this despite shouldering all the costs”, Mr Batt added.

“The government need to look at root-and-branch reform because, in my experience, all the parties currently charged with maintaining building such as my own are incentivised almost solely around maintaining their revenue stream.

“Under the current system, no one is on the leaseholders’ side and that has to change.”

‘Death knell of leasehold’

In his WMS, Mr Pennycook said the government will introduce a “comprehensive new legal framework” on commonhold, including banning the sale of leasehold flats and converting existing leasehold tenures to the new model.

Proponents of commonhold say it would drive up safety standards, as it would give flat owners more control of the maintenance of a building while removing the cash incentive for developers to build homes on the cheap – knowing leaseholders can pick up the costs.

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook
Image:
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook

Sebastian O’Kelly, of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, welcomed today’s announcement as the “death knell of leasehold”.

He advised people not to buy leasehold properties as “the market will force pace on this”, pointing out that some developers have recently come out in support of commonhold while others “whose reputations have been shredded by the Grenfell findings will follow”.

He told Sky News: “With this momentum the reforms to improve the blighted lives of existing leaseholders will be eased. Government may think this process will be slow, but house builders will know that the leasehold game they have played so assiduously is busted.”

Delay in implementing Tories’ ‘half-baked’ reforms

But there was a more muted response from the National Leasehold Campaign, which has spent six years trying to dismantle the system.

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‘Exorbitant’ ground rents for ‘no service’

As well as announcing a roadmap for abolishing leasehold, Mr Pennycook set out a timeline for implementing reforms in the Tories’ Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act (LFRA), which just about made wash-up when Rishi Sunak called the July election, after being watered down by then housing secretary Michael Gove.

The LFRA promised to abolish leaseholds on new houses but not new flats, which make up 70% of the estimated 5 million leasehold properties in England.

It also aimed to give leaseholders more rights and protections, but Mr Pennycook said the act was “half baked” so there would be delays in implementing some of its measures.

Crucially, that includes rules around new valuations, which will be consulted on next summer, he said.

‘Endless cash cow continues’

The NLC called this “very disappointing” as the mechanism was designed to make it quicker and cheaper for people to buy their freehold or extend their lease “enabling them to sell their properties and move on with their lives”.

The National Leasehold Campaign wants to see the system abolished
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The National Leasehold Campaign wants to see the system abolished

“Our main concern now is the fate of existing leaseholders who are currently suffering at the mercy of unregulated managing agents and unscrupulous freeholders,” it added.

“The government’s published intention to ‘act as quickly as possible’ will not be quick enough and we are already seeing the despair from some NLC members who are facing bankruptcy due to escalating service charges.

“Since 2018, leaseholders have heard time and time again from former government ministers that they will end the abuses but in reality nothing has changed for existing leaseholders. Using our homes as an endless cash cow continues and millions remain trapped.”

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Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested one year ago and has since then been required to stay in France while under investigation.

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Laws to largely abolish use of short prison sentences to be introduced within weeks

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Laws to largely abolish use of short prison sentences to be introduced within weeks

New laws to reduce the use of short prison sentences and toughen up community punishments are expected to be introduced within weeks.

Ministers are expected to introduce the new legislation to the Commons after the summer recess.

The changes will abolish most short-term prison sentences and introduce an earned release scheme, based on a model used in Texas, where prisoners who demonstrate good behaviour can be freed earlier – while those who disobey prison rules are detained for longer.

This will include some prisoners jailed for violent offences, although those convicted of the most dangerous crimes and for terrorism will be excluded.

Shabana Mahmood (left) was said to be impressed by the system in place in Texan prisons. Pic: PA
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Shabana Mahmood (left) was said to be impressed by the system in place in Texan prisons. Pic: PA

The new bill will introduce many of the changes recommended by the independent sentencing review, carried out by former Conservative justice minister David Gauke earlier this year. It represents one of the largest overhauls of sentencing in a generation and marks a cornerstone of the government’s effort to reduce the size of the prison population in England and Wales.

As well as reducing the use of short custodial sentences, the changes will also toughen up community sentences, introducing a wider range of punishments for those serving time outside of prison. This could include bans on going to stadiums to watch sports or music events, as well as restrictions on visiting pubs, and the wider use of drug testing.

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Becky Johnson speaks with Daniel, a former convict, who was released early after prisons reached capacity.

Other punishments could include driving and travel bans, as well as restriction zones – confining them to certain areas. Some of these can already be imposed for certain crimes, but the new laws will mean that these could be handed down by a judge for any offence.

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Under the legislation, which it is understood will be introduced in September, prison sentences of 12 months or less will be scrapped, except for in exceptional circumstances such as domestic abuse cases. Meanwhile, the length of suspended sentences – where an offender is not sent to prison immediately unless they commit a further crime – will be extended from two years to three.

The justice secretary is believed to have been inspired by the earned release scheme during a visit to the States, where she learned about the model being used in Texas to cut crime and bring their prison population under control.

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England is on course to run out of prison places for adult men by November, the Justice Secretary has warned.

Shabana Mahmood said that criminals who break the rules “must be punished” and that those serving their sentences in the community “must have their freedom restricted there, too”.

She added: “Rightly, the public expect the government to do everything in its power to keep Britain safe, and that’s what we’re doing.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice added: “This government inherited a prison system days away from collapse.

“That is why we are building 14,000 more prison places, with 2,500 already delivered, but we know we can’t build our way out of this crisis.

“Without further action, we will run out of prison places in months, courts would halt trials and the police [would] cancel arrests. That is why we are overhauling sentencing to make sure we always have the prison places needed to keep the country safe.”

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