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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support co-freeholders who are prevented from selling their property and share of freehold as a result of other co-freeholders refusing to sign transfer documents.

The Government supports a well-functioning housing market where there are clear rules in place to ensure transactions can be carried out fairly. The Levelling Up White Paper sets out plans to work with the industry to improve the home buying and selling process. Where the freehold of a building is owned by joint tenants or tenants-in-common, a legally binding Declaration of Trust can set out the co-owners' rights and obligations toward each other. Depending on the circumstances of a case, there is a current legal route which would allow an application to the County Court for an order requiring a co-owner to sign any relevant documentation.