The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is reforming England and Wales's leasehold system, including banning ground rents, restricting forfeiture, strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services, and transitioning to commonhold ownership for flats.
Around five million leaseholders in England and Wales are affected by unfair charges, opaque management practices, and insecure tenure; the reforms represent the most significant restructuring of residential property law in decades.
The draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill was published for pre-legislative scrutiny in January 2026 and received an RPC impact assessment in March 2026; consultations on banning new leasehold flats and on freehold estate protections have recently closed, with responses under analysis.
The flagship draft Bill published for pre-legislative scrutiny, designed to modernise and reinvigorate the commonhold and leasehold framework and ultimately phase out residential leasehold for flats.
Sets out the government's detailed proposals for how a reformed commonhold model will operate in England and Wales, forming the policy foundation for the draft Bill.
The Regulatory Policy Committee's assessment of the impact assessment accompanying the draft Bill, a key scrutiny milestone before introduction.
Ministerial statement announcing publication of the draft Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny and setting out the government's reform timetable.
Announcement that measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 were switched on, giving nearly five million leaseholders new transparency rights over landlords and managing agents.
Ministerial statement launching the consultation on charges and services, signalling the government's intent to hold landlords and managing agents to account.
Central to the thread's objective of phasing out residential leasehold and replacing it with commonhold.
Implements statutory protections for a class of homeowners closely related to leaseholders, forming part of the broader reform programme.
Directly implements key provisions of the 2024 Act on service charges and management accountability, a core element of this thread.
The aim of this government, by the end of this Parliament, is nothing short of its dismantling and the corresponding emancipation of leaseholders.
Why linked: Direct ministerial commitment to abolishing leasehold, the central objective of this policy thread.
The government will also introduce its new draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill in the second half of 2025, a crucial step towards the next generation of homeowners benefitting from a more modern commonhold system.
Why linked: Ministerial announcement setting out the legislative timetable for the flagship reform Bill on this thread.
The draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill will bring forward reforms designed to modernise, strengthen and reinvigorate the commonhold and leasehold framework.
In response to: Commonhold White Paper
The Commonhold White Paper sets out government’s proposal for how the reformed commonhold model will operate in England and Wales.
Loading new-since list…