Baroness Thornhill

I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer given to Question UIN HL12535 (attached) on 10 December 2025 and to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HLWS1278) (attached).

We will publish a response to the 2023 consultation in due course.

The government published a policy statement alongside the draft Bill setting out the existing evidence and considerations of different policy options.

I refer the Noble Baroness to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HLWS1278) (attached).

I refer the Noble Baroness to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HLWS1278) (attached).

This government is committed to ending the feudal leasehold system. We will reinvigorate the commonhold legal framework and ban the use of leasehold for new flats so commonhold can become the default tenure for the ownership of new flats, and we will implement measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 to ban new leasehold houses.

Following consideration of responses to the ‘Moving to Commonhold’ consultation and pre-legislative scrutiny of the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, we will confirm commencement plans.

I refer the Noble Baroness to the response given to UIN HL14534 (attached) on 25 February 2026.

I refer the Noble Baroness to the response given to UIN HL14534 (attached) on 25 February 2026.

My Department does not hold the requested data.

We are committed to implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, which will make enfranchisement cheaper and easier. I refer the Noble Baroness to the response given in the House of Commons on 14 January 2026 UIN 103549 (attached) about these provisions.

The requested information is not held by the Department.

The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure.

The changes described have been implemented through successive amendments to the shared ownership model lease. Once a lease agreement is entered into, its rights and obligations become legally binding. It is not, therefore, possible to apply policy changes to legacy shared owners without contravening legal agreements between individual shared owners and their social landlords.

Legacy shared owners will, however, benefit from the Government’s wider leasehold and commonhold reforms. Measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, once commenced, will grant shared owners the right to a statutory lease extension of 990 years.

The Government continues to give close consideration to ways to improve the experience of all shared owners, including those existing owners who were not captured by changes to the model lease.

Social housing providers currently have the option to repurchase homes where shared owners are unable to sell due to building safety issues. They can use Recycled Capital Grant Funding or alternative resources to do so. This is not an automatic entitlement for shared owners and is available at providers’ discretion. Providers will have their own policies setting out when this option is available, including any relevant eligibility criteria, and they are expected to publish all relevant policies on their websites in a clear and accessible format.

To deliver the scale of housing the country needs, we have confirmed a new 10-year £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme to kickstart social and affordable housebuilding at scale across the country. We will publish a full prospectus for the new programme in autumn 2025.

Social housing providers have the option to repurchase homes where shared owners are unable to sell due to building safety issues. They can use Recycled Capital Grant Funding or alternative resources to do so. This is not an automatic entitlement for shared owners and is available at providers’ discretion. Providers will have their own policies setting out when this option is available, including any relevant eligibility criteria, and they are expected to publish all relevant policies on their websites in a clear and accessible format.

The Government does not collect information about shared ownership providers’ policies regarding repurchase of homes from shared owners where building safety issues are present.

Regarding subletting requests, Homes England’s Capital Funding Guidance for shared ownership is clear. For properties affected by building safety issues, requests from shared owners to sub-let, including up to a market rent, should always be accepted by registered providers of social housing in England. Where required, the shared owner may also need permission from the mortgage lender and/or the building’s freeholder.

Social housing providers have the option to repurchase homes where shared owners are unable to sell due to building safety issues. They can use Recycled Capital Grant Funding or alternative resources to do so. This is not an automatic entitlement for shared owners and is available at providers’ discretion. Providers will have their own policies setting out when this option is available, including any relevant eligibility criteria, and they are expected to publish all relevant policies on their websites in a clear and accessible format.

The Government does not collect information about shared ownership providers’ policies regarding repurchase of homes from shared owners where building safety issues are present.

Regarding subletting requests, Homes England’s Capital Funding Guidance for shared ownership is clear. For properties affected by building safety issues, requests from shared owners to sub-let, including up to a market rent, should always be accepted by registered providers of social housing in England. Where required, the shared owner may also need permission from the mortgage lender and/or the building’s freeholder.

Social housing providers have the option to repurchase homes where shared owners are unable to sell due to building safety issues. They can use Recycled Capital Grant Funding or alternative resources to do so. This is not an automatic entitlement for shared owners and is available at providers’ discretion. Providers will have their own policies setting out when this option is available, including any relevant eligibility criteria, and they are expected to publish all relevant policies on their websites in a clear and accessible format.

The Government does not collect information about shared ownership providers’ policies regarding repurchase of homes from shared owners where building safety issues are present.

Regarding subletting requests, Homes England’s Capital Funding Guidance for shared ownership is clear. For properties affected by building safety issues, requests from shared owners to sub-let, including up to a market rent, should always be accepted by registered providers of social housing in England. Where required, the shared owner may also need permission from the mortgage lender and/or the building’s freeholder.

The Government has considered the impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill on affected housing sectors. The Bill contains measures to ensure the shared ownership model can continue to function, by excluding it from the assured tenancy regime to prevent shared owners from losing possession for rent arrears.

Regarding subletting requests, the Government’s guidance is clear. For properties affected by building safety issues, requests from shared owners to sub-let, including up to a market rent, should always be accepted by registered providers of social housing in England. Where required, the shared owner may also need permission from the mortgage lender and/or the building’s freeholder.

We are discussing with stakeholders their concerns about situations where shared owners are unable to sell their property due to building safety issues and are subletting. We will ensure that the implications of the Renters’ Rights Bill for shared owners, who are subletting properties affected by building safety issues, are communicated clearly through guidance.

The Government does not collect data on the number of shared owners, impacted by building safety issues, who have sold or sublet their properties.

A number of steps have already been taken to accelerate the removal of unsafe cladding from buildings and improve outcomes for residents of all tenures, including shared ownership customers. This includes working closely with partners across the social housing sector to identify barriers to remediation and ways to overcome them. Further details of the Government’s plan to increase the pace of building remediation can be found in the Remediation Acceleration Plan, available at: Remediation Acceleration Plan - GOV.UK.

Social housing providers have the option to repurchase homes where shared owners are unable to sell due to building safety issues. This is not an automatic entitlement for shared owners and is available at providers’ discretion. Providers will have their own policies setting out when this option is available, including any relevant eligibility criteria. The Government expects all relevant policies to be published on providers’ websites in a clear and accessible format.

The Government does not collect data on the number of shared owners, impacted by building safety issues, who have sold or sublet their properties.

A number of steps have already been taken to accelerate the removal of unsafe cladding from buildings and improve outcomes for residents of all tenures, including shared ownership customers. This includes working closely with partners across the social housing sector to identify barriers to remediation and ways to overcome them. Further details of the Government’s plan to increase the pace of building remediation can be found in the Remediation Acceleration Plan, available at: Remediation Acceleration Plan - GOV.UK.

Social housing providers have the option to repurchase homes where shared owners are unable to sell due to building safety issues. This is not an automatic entitlement for shared owners and is available at providers’ discretion. Providers will have their own policies setting out when this option is available, including any relevant eligibility criteria. The Government expects all relevant policies to be published on providers’ websites in a clear and accessible format.

The Government does not collect data on the number of shared owners, impacted by building safety issues, who have sold or sublet their properties.

A number of steps have already been taken to accelerate the removal of unsafe cladding from buildings and improve outcomes for residents of all tenures, including shared ownership customers. This includes working closely with partners across the social housing sector to identify barriers to remediation and ways to overcome them. Further details of the Government’s plan to increase the pace of building remediation can be found in the Remediation Acceleration Plan, available at: Remediation Acceleration Plan - GOV.UK.

Social housing providers have the option to repurchase homes where shared owners are unable to sell due to building safety issues. This is not an automatic entitlement for shared owners and is available at providers’ discretion. Providers will have their own policies setting out when this option is available, including any relevant eligibility criteria. The Government expects all relevant policies to be published on providers’ websites in a clear and accessible format.

The Government has considered the impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill on affected housing sectors. The Bill contains measures to ensure the shared ownership model can continue to function, by excluding it from the assured tenancy regime to prevent shared owners from losing possession for rent arrears.

Regarding subletting requests, the Government’s guidance is clear. For properties affected by building safety issues, requests from shared owners to sub-let, including up to a market rent, should always be accepted by registered providers of social housing in England. Where required, the shared owner may also need permission from the mortgage lender and/or the building’s freeholder.

We are discussing with stakeholders their concerns about situations where shared owners are unable to sell their property due to building safety issues and are subletting. We will ensure that the implications of the Renters’ Rights Bill for shared owners, who are subletting properties affected by building safety issues, are communicated clearly through guidance.

The Government does not collect data on the number of shared owners, impacted by building safety issues, who have sold or sublet their properties.

A number of steps have already been taken to accelerate the removal of unsafe cladding from buildings and improve outcomes for residents of all tenures, including shared ownership customers. This includes working closely with partners across the social housing sector to identify barriers to remediation and ways to overcome them. Further details of the Government’s plan to increase the pace of building remediation can be found in the Remediation Acceleration Plan, available at: Remediation Acceleration Plan - GOV.UK.

Social housing providers have the option to repurchase homes where shared owners are unable to sell due to building safety issues. This is not an automatic entitlement for shared owners and is available at providers’ discretion. Providers will have their own policies setting out when this option is available, including any relevant eligibility criteria. The Government expects all relevant policies to be published on providers’ websites in a clear and accessible format.

The statutory invitation letter of 5 February sent to leaders of all councils in two-tier areas and neighbouring unitaries set out the criteria against which proposals will be assessed and decisions made on whether proposals are to be implemented. The criteria includes that proposals should be for a sensible geography which will help to increase housing supply and meet local needs.

Existing council boundaries should be considered the building blocks for new unitary councils, but where there is a strong justification more complex boundary changes will be considered.

There is a strong case for greater regulation of managing agents. Too many leaseholders suffer from poor quality services and abuse at the hands of unscrupulous agents, and management of some buildings has become a more complex operation. As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 21 November 2024, the Government will therefore strengthen regulation of managing agents to drive up the standard of their service. As a minimum, this should include mandatory professional qualifications which set a new basic standard that managing agents will be required to meet. We will consult on this matter next year.