Labour Frontline Vows to Stand Firm on Ground Rent Cap Amid Landlord Backlash
Angela Rayner has warned the government that freeholders may resort to "lawfare" to block its £250 cap on ground rents, as leasehold experts express frustration with the slow pace of reform. The move is part of a broader effort to crack down on the exploitative practice of charging exorbitant ground rents to leaseholders.
The cap will reduce ground rent to virtually zero after 40 years, a long-sought goal for many leaseholder advocates. However, critics argue that this will not come soon enough, with some leasehold campaign groups warning that 18 months have passed since the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act gained royal assent yet significant portions of the bill remain unimplemented.
Landlords' organizations are opposing the reforms, claiming they would undermine investor confidence in the UK housing market. The Residential Freehold Association has argued that a forced exit of professional freeholders from the sector could lead to reduced building safety projects.
Meanwhile, some experts caution against implementing commonhold models too quickly. Justin Herbert, a managing director at a prominent property management company, advocates for a blended model that balances resident control with experienced agents' expertise in regulating safety and compliance issues.
As the government seeks to address the contentious issue of ground rents, leaseholder groups remain divided over the pace of reform. While some welcome the £250 cap as a vital step towards alleviating financial burdens on leaseholders, others fear that meaningful change may not materialize soon enough.
Angela Rayner has warned the government that freeholders may resort to "lawfare" to block its £250 cap on ground rents, as leasehold experts express frustration with the slow pace of reform. The move is part of a broader effort to crack down on the exploitative practice of charging exorbitant ground rents to leaseholders.
The cap will reduce ground rent to virtually zero after 40 years, a long-sought goal for many leaseholder advocates. However, critics argue that this will not come soon enough, with some leasehold campaign groups warning that 18 months have passed since the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act gained royal assent yet significant portions of the bill remain unimplemented.
Landlords' organizations are opposing the reforms, claiming they would undermine investor confidence in the UK housing market. The Residential Freehold Association has argued that a forced exit of professional freeholders from the sector could lead to reduced building safety projects.
Meanwhile, some experts caution against implementing commonhold models too quickly. Justin Herbert, a managing director at a prominent property management company, advocates for a blended model that balances resident control with experienced agents' expertise in regulating safety and compliance issues.
As the government seeks to address the contentious issue of ground rents, leaseholder groups remain divided over the pace of reform. While some welcome the £250 cap as a vital step towards alleviating financial burdens on leaseholders, others fear that meaningful change may not materialize soon enough.
! like angela rayner is literally standing firm on this one and i am HERE. FOR. IT 
it's crazy how landlords are trying to block the reforms but honestly, leaseholders deserve so much better than being taken advantage of. I mean 40 years without paying virtually any ground rent? that's some serious breathing room 
! don't get me wrong, i know not everyone agrees with this move and there are valid concerns about investor confidence etc but for leaseholder advocates, it's a huge step forward 
the £250 cap is like super overdue i mean 18 months have passed since the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act got assent and nothing has really changed 
its all just land lords trying to screw over leaseholders again. freeholders are gonna try lawfare for sure, i can already see it on reddit 
like what are they even gonna do tho? take the government to court over a 40 yr old rent cap 
! It's about time those greedy landlords get their act together and stop charging our friends and family crazy amounts of money for having to live in a leasehold property 
. I know some people are saying the £250 cap is too little, too late, but I think it's a solid start 
. We've been waiting for so long to see real change happen, and now we finally have something concrete to work with 
. Let's keep pushing for more reform and make sure those leasehold campaign groups don't get left behind 
I'm so done with these landlords and their excuses. Like, come on, £250 is literally nothing! They're just trying to cling to the old ways because they don't want to give up their power and profits. The fact that some of them are threatening "lawfare" just shows how desperate they are. It's like, we get it, you're scared of change, but this is about people's lives, not yours.
. I get that investors might be worried, but landlords shouldn't be able to just exploit people's homes for profit 
. The experts who want a blended model are onto something - maybe it's not an all-or-nothing situation? But leaseholder groups need to calm down and give the gov some space to figure things out... we can't have everyone's voices raised at once 
leaseholder groups r gettin frustrated cuz they feel like they're still stuck in this horrible system 
gotta keep pushin for change even if its slow 
. Leaseholders are literally being held hostage by these greedy landlords who just want to milk them for every penny 
, but it's not enough. We need more than just a band-aid solution here 
. It's like they're trying to keep us in limbo while they figure out what to do next 
. Can't we just have some real action for once?