Government fail to publish the Leasehold and Commonhold Bill or launch a consultation on lease extension dates
An estimated five million leaseholders across the UK, who had hoped for long-promised progress on leasehold reform before Christmas, were left deeply disappointed this week, when the Labour Government confirmed two further broken manifesto commitments. Despite pledging to “bring the feudal leasehold system to an end”, a promise that helped secure them their landslide election victory, the Government yesterday admitted it will neither publish the long-awaited Leasehold and Commonhold Bill this year, nor launch a promised consultation on lease extension valuation rates. With progress stalling, frustration is growing not only among leaseholders and campaigners, but increasingly within Labour’s own ranks.
As recently as November the Government promised that a draft Leasehold and Commonhold Bill would be published by the end of this calendar year. However on 18 December the Government confirmed that they would not meet their commitment, citing “unforeseen delays”.
Just over a year ago, in November 2024, the Government promised to consult on the rates to calculate the cost of lease extensions and freehold purchase “next Summer”. Summer has turned to winter for leaseholders, and despite two other related consultations on service charge transparency and "fleecehold" estate management being launched, this manifesto commitment was conspicuously absent.
It is not just Leaseholders, and the campaigners that support them, who are getting frustrated. Labour MPs themselves are losing patience with the Government, with Barry Gardiner complaining in the Commons on 18 December “Even Michael Gove promised to do away with ground rent. So why is this government, my government, the party of Labour, struggling to take on the parasitical rent seekers.”
Linz Darlington, Managing Director of lease extension specialists Homehold commented on the latest delays:
“It seems that the Labour Government are working just quickly enough on leasehold reform so, to the general public, it looks like they’re making progress, but without much threat of having to implement a workable solution to such a thorny problem by the end of this parliament.
“In October the High Court enthusiastically dismissed a legal challenge brought by several groups of major freeholders, ruling that the enfranchisement provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 were legal. What more do this government need to press on and fulfil their manifesto promises?”
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