Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has committed to leasehold reform this year, despite the latest delays.
The Government last year signalled yet more consultations on leasehold reform, covering valuation rates, appropriate legal fees and service charges.
This has delayed any reforms to the sector, leaving many leaseholders in unsellable homes.
The comments came in Rayner’s first appearance in front of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee.
Pressed by chair Florence Eshamoli on when leasehold reforms would be enacted, Rayner said: “We want to make sure we are moving at pace but we want to ensure there aren’t unintended consequences as there are gaps in the current legislation that could cause problems such as including flats.
“We want to bring forward legislation within this year.”
She also signalled that she wanted to make commonhold the most-used tenure.
Commenting on the meeting, Timothy Douglas, head of policy and Campaigns at Propertymark, comments:
“It is encouraging to hear that the UK Government intends to progress with leasehold reform and that they are committed to making commonhold a default position for many.
“Propertymark welcomes Rayner’s pledge to introduce the Planning and Infrastructure Bill in March and we look forward to working with them on meeting their ambitious target of constructing 1.5m new homes.
“However, while the Housing Secretary is intent on scrapping Section 21, which she believes is the answer to ending homelessness, it is essential there is full clarity from the UK Government on how it intends to address issues which Propertymark has highlighted, such as the anticipated backlog it will cause within the courts system.”
Source: Estate Agent Today