Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to protect existing leaseholders from increasing service charges.

The law is clear that service charges must be reasonable and, where costs relate to work or services, they must be of a reasonable standard.

Leaseholders may make an application to the First-tier Tribunal to make a determination on the reasonableness of their service charges.

Where disputes arise or there is uncertainty over costs, leaseholders may benefit from seeking free initial advice via the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE), the specialist advisory body funded by?the Department to?provide assistance to?leaseholders.