Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to reform leaseholder rights.

On 21 December 2017, the Government announced plans to tackle unfair practices in the leasehold sector, including banning the sale of new build leasehold houses, reducing ground rents on new leasehold homes to a peppercorn, and addressing loopholes in the law to improve fairness and transparency for leaseholders and freeholders. We are also working with the Law Commission to support existing leaseholders, including making buying a freehold or extending a lease easier, faster, fairer and cheaper, and reinvigorating Commonhold to provide greater choice for consumers. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

On 29 November 2017, my Department closed a call for evidence on protecting consumers in the letting and managing agent market, which sought views on a range of issues affecting leaseholders. The responses are currently being analysed and an announcement is expected to be made shortly.