COMMONHOLD FOR THE MANY, NOT JUST THE NEW

Dear Keir Starmer,

Millions of leaseholders across England and Wales lent Labour their votes at the last election because your party’s manifesto pledged to end the leasehold system.

In your first King’s Speech, you promised that you would act “quickly” on leasehold and the 5.3 million leasehold households expect you to deliver.

We welcome your government’s push to reinvigorate commonhold, but there is dismay among existing leaseholders that we may be left behind while future buyers benefit – and will have to wait at least four more years for commonhold.

Meanwhile, Big Freeholders are trying to thwart the will of the people. They’re suing your government and will no doubt take their judicial review trolling all the way to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

You must not cave to this campaign of intimidation by rich vested interests. 

By requiring commonhold for new properties only, you create a two-tier housing market: one where legacy leaseholders are denied freedom and forced to live under different rules from buyers of new flats, who enjoy outright ownership and democratic rights as commonholders.

This will make it almost impossible for existing leaseholders to sell their homes – and leave them being milked by freeholders and their managing agents.

That’s why we’re calling on you to say no to two-tier, Keir – and deliver commonhold for the many, not just the new.

In 1995, Labour under Tony Blair promised they would deliver “an end to feudalism” by introducing commonhold and, 30 years on, leaseholders are still waiting.

Please don’t be paralysed by Big Freeholders’ lawfare. Leaseholders cannot be forced to wait for Strasbourg. Your government has the second biggest majority in Labour’s 125-year history – use it!

Truly ending leasehold means commonhold for the many, not just the new.