Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish correspondence between his Department and (a) TfL and (b) the Mayor of London on plans to build on land around High Barnet, Cockfosters and Finchley Central underground stations.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
There has been no correspondence between MHCLG and (a) TfL or (b) the Mayor of London regarding building on land around High Barnet, Cockfosters and Finchley Central underground stations.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the timeframe is for the publication of legislative proposal to reform the charges levied on the owners of leasehold properties; and whether that legislation include reform of the charges levied on freeholders.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for leaseholders and residential freeholders and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service.
The Government believes that service charges should be transparent, communicated effectively and that there should be a clear route to challenge or redress if things go wrong. That is why we have established a working group chaired by Lord Best to raise standards across the property sector and consider how fees such as service charges should be presented to consumers and to explore the best means to challenge fees which are unjustified. The group is instructed to report back to Government in July 2019.
The Government will legislate to ensure that freeholders who pay charges for the maintenance of communal areas and facilities on a private or mixed use estate, can access equivalent rights as leaseholders to challenge the reasonableness of service charges.
The Government intends to bring forward the legislation to make these changes as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government's proposals to reform the rules on charges levied on freehold home owners for maintenance of (a) related roads and (b) facilities will apply to existing arrangements for that maintenance.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Government has committed to ensuring that freehold home owners who pay charges for the maintenance of communal areas and facilities on a private or mixed tenure estate can access equivalent rights as leaseholders to challenge their reasonableness.
We intend to create a new statutory regime, to cover both existing and future freeholders, based on the leaseholder rights contained in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This will ensure maintenance charges must be reasonably incurred and services provided are of an acceptable standard. We will provide freeholders with the ability to challenge the reasonableness of the charges they are required to pay towards the maintenance of communal areas and facilities at the First-tier Tribunal. We are also considering whether freeholders should have a right to change the provider of maintenance services by applying to the tribunal for the appointment of a new manager. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to bring unoccupied properties back into use.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government has given strong powers and incentives to local authorities to tackle empty homes. From 1 April 2019, they will have discretion to increase the maximum level of premium charged on properties that have been empty for more than two years, from 50 per cent to 100 per cent extra council tax, through new powers afforded by the Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Act 2018. In addition, the New Homes Bonus allows local authorities to earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back into use as building a new one.
Under certain circumstances, local authorities can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) to temporarily take over the management of a property that has been empty for more than two years in order to bring it back into use. They must provide evidence that the property represents a nuisance, and that there is community support for their proposal.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress he is making in his plans to enable more people to have longer tenancies than the typical six months which is generally offered.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Government is committed to protecting the rights of tenants and giving them more security. We recently consulted on ways to overcome the barriers to landlords offering longer, more secure tenancies in the private rented sector.
We are considering responses to the consultation and will be bringing forward proposals that make the system work for both tenants and landlords. We will provide more information on next steps shortly.
In the meantime, there is nothing to stop landlords offering a longer tenancy. We have published a model tenancy agreement which landlords and tenants can use as the basis for longer, family friendly tenancies, available for free at www.gov.uk/government/publications/model-agreement-for-a-shorthold-assured-tenancy. In addition, the measures announced in the Housing White Paper resulted in many of the largest build to rent operators offering their tenants the option of longer tenancies.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has plans to introduce legislative proposals to replicate the provisions of the Freehold Properties (Management Charges and Shared Facilities) Bill 2017-19 introduced by the Hon Member for Bishop Auckland.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government has committed to ensuring that freeholders who pay charges for the maintenance of communal areas and facilities on a private or mixed tenure estate can access equivalent rights as leaseholders to challenge their reasonableness. In addition, we have committed to protecting leaseholders who are suffering at the hands of rogue managing agents every day from unexpected costs or excessive fees for poor quality repairs.
We intend to create a new statutory regime for freeholders based on the leaseholder rights contained in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This will ensure maintenance charges must be reasonably incurred and services provided are of an acceptable standard. We will provide freeholders with the ability to challenge the reasonableness of the charges they are required to pay towards the maintenance of communal areas and facilities at the First-tier Tribunal. We are also considering whether freeholders should have a right to change the provider of maintenance services by applying to the tribunal for the appointment of a new manager. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
We have asked Lord Best to chair a working group to look at regulating and professionalising property agents. This includes reviewing the standards around the transparency of service charges and other fees and charges, how they are presented to consumers and putting them into a statutory code for managing agents. Lord Best’s working group will report back to Ministers later this summer.
We are also looking at the future use of charges and restrictions beyond service charges – such as permission fees, administration charges and other restrictions and covenants faced by leaseholders and resident freeholders, and consider whether they should be capped or banned. We will consider this alongside Lord Bests proposals.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his forthcoming legislation on excessive fees charged in relation to leasehold homes will also regulate charges levied on the owners of freehold homes by developers for maintaining common areas in housing estates.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government has committed to ensuring that freeholders who pay charges for the maintenance of communal areas and facilities on a private or mixed tenure estate can access equivalent rights as leaseholders to challenge their reasonableness. In addition, we have committed to protecting leaseholders who are suffering at the hands of rogue managing agents every day from unexpected costs or excessive fees for poor quality repairs.
We intend to create a new statutory regime for freeholders based on the leaseholder rights contained in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This will ensure maintenance charges must be reasonably incurred and services provided are of an acceptable standard. We will provide freeholders with the ability to challenge the reasonableness of the charges they are required to pay towards the maintenance of communal areas and facilities at the First-tier Tribunal. We are also considering whether freeholders should have a right to change the provider of maintenance services by applying to the tribunal for the appointment of a new manager. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
We have asked Lord Best to chair a working group to look at regulating and professionalising property agents. This includes reviewing the standards around the transparency of service charges and other fees and charges, how they are presented to consumers and putting them into a statutory code for managing agents. Lord Best’s working group will report back to Ministers later this summer.
We are also looking at the future use of charges and restrictions beyond service charges – such as permission fees, administration charges and other restrictions and covenants faced by leaseholders and resident freeholders, and consider whether they should be capped or banned. We will consider this alongside Lord Bests proposals.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to tackle excessive fees charged to freehold homeowners by developers for maintaining common areas in housing estates.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government has committed to ensuring that freeholders who pay charges for the maintenance of communal areas and facilities on a private or mixed tenure estate can access equivalent rights as leaseholders to challenge their reasonableness. In addition, we have committed to protecting leaseholders who are suffering at the hands of rogue managing agents every day from unexpected costs or excessive fees for poor quality repairs.
We intend to create a new statutory regime for freeholders based on the leaseholder rights contained in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This will ensure maintenance charges must be reasonably incurred and services provided are of an acceptable standard. We will provide freeholders with the ability to challenge the reasonableness of the charges they are required to pay towards the maintenance of communal areas and facilities at the First-tier Tribunal. We are also considering whether freeholders should have a right to change the provider of maintenance services by applying to the tribunal for the appointment of a new manager. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
We have asked Lord Best to chair a working group to look at regulating and professionalising property agents. This includes reviewing the standards around the transparency of service charges and other fees and charges, how they are presented to consumers and putting them into a statutory code for managing agents. Lord Best’s working group will report back to Ministers later this summer.
We are also looking at the future use of charges and restrictions beyond service charges – such as permission fees, administration charges and other restrictions and covenants faced by leaseholders and resident freeholders, and consider whether they should be capped or banned. We will consider this alongside Lord Bests proposals.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the legislation he plans to bring forward to tackle excessive charges levied on leaseholders will apply to existing arrangements or only to new homes completed after the legislation comes into force.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Government is committed to leaseholders receiving fair and transparent charges. For this reason, we asked Lord Best and his Property Agent Working Group to consider leasehold service charges. This includes reviewing the standards around the transparency of service charges and other fees and charges, how they are presented to consumers and putting them into a statutory code for managing agents, which will be beneficial to all leaseholders. We expect to receive the Working Group's recommendations this summer and we will respond with our plans later this year.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on tackling excessive charges levied on the owners of leasehold homes.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Government is committed to leaseholders receiving fair and transparent charges. For this reason, we asked Lord Best and his Property Agent Working Group to consider leasehold service charges. This includes reviewing the standards around the transparency of service charges and other fees and charges, how they are presented to consumers and putting them into a statutory code for managing agents, which will be beneficial to all leaseholders. We expect to receive the Working Group's recommendations this summer and we will respond with our plans later this year.