King Charles III set out the measures that his government intends to bring forward in this session of parliament. Amongst those measures, it was announced that the government was to embark on further leasehold reform designed to make enfranchisement claims simpler and cheaper.

Whilst the draft Bill has yet to be published (at the time of writing), the government plans to:

– remove the requirement for leaseholders to be the registered owner of their flats for at least 2 years before being able to start a lease extension claim

– ensure lease extensions are for 990 years rather than an extra 90 years on top of the lease term remaining

– increase from 25% to 50% the non-residential limit for collective enfranchisement or right to manage claims to acquire the freehold or the management of a building

– grant freehold house owners on private estates the same rights as flat owners to challenge the reasonableness of service charges

– ban new leasehold houses except in exceptional circumstances

We await the detail of the new legislation.

Clarkson hirst 13.11.2023