Since being elected, one of my priorities has been to tackle the inequalities and injustice faced by leaseholders across the country and across my constituency.
In the Cities of London and Westminster, we have some of the highest concentrations of leasehold properties, and the challenges residents face are daily and tangible: escalating fees, unaccountable managing agents, delays in repairs, and a system that leaves homeowners with little control over their own homes.
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Since my election I have made it my priority to meet with residents, listening to their stories, and using that insight to shape my work in parliament. I have worked with constituents to gather evidence, collaborated with fellow MPs, and rallied action to ensure leaseholders’ voices are heard. This has included summoning unscrupulous managing agents into parliament and holding them to account for their poor service.
“A practical solution to a long-standing problem”
Today, those efforts are being followed up with a real win for leaseholders, as the Government announces a Bill introducing a new process for converting leasehold property into commonhold.
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This legislation is a practical solution to a long-standing problem. It brings conversion into line with wider enfranchisement processes, making it possible when 50% of qualifying leaseholders agree. By creating a clear, fair path to ownership, it empowers residents to take control of their homes, rather than being subject to distant freeholders or unaccountable management companies.
Importantly, the legislation introduces measures to align the community rules and existing leases, ensuring blocks can be managed effectively, fairly, and sustainably. For the first time, there is a framework that balances the rights of all residents while creating genuine accountability in the management of shared homes.
“This is a restoration of trust and fairness”
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The bill also includes a mechanism to phase out remaining leases, replacing them with commonhold units over time. Leaseholders gain a new right to buy their commonhold unit, replacing their existing right to a lease extension, and ensuring clarity and security for the future. Where a leaseholder wishes to sell, the commonhold unit must also be sold, making transactions straightforward and protecting residents’ interests.
This is more than just legal reform. It is a restoration of trust and fairness in a system that has too often left leaseholders powerless. It demonstrates what government can do when it listens to residents, engages meaningfully with the communities it serves, and acts decisively to correct long-standing injustices.
For me, the Government’s thorough action here reflect how important an issue this is for resident across the Cities of London and Westminster. The constituents who have written to me, attended my Leasehold Action Group, and supported each other with the work of unscrupulous managing agents, have a government which is listening to them and standing up for them against vested interests in the freehold sector.
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It is a win not just for the residents of my constituency, but for leaseholders across the country who have long campaigned for clarity, control, and fairness in their homes.
Bringing forward this radical change to our housing system reflects a broader principle: the state exists to make systems work for citizens, not against them. This bill is a clear, practical example of how government can do just that. It puts power back in the hands of residents, ensures blocks are managed fairly, and begins to dismantle the inequities of the leasehold system.
I welcome this bill wholeheartedly. Today, leaseholders have reason to hope and to celebrate because, finally, the law is starting to work for them.
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