May 2024
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This conference looked at next steps for leasehold reform in England and Wales, with the Leasehold and Freehold Bill progressing through Parliament.
It was an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to discuss key measures in the Bill, including the extension of standard leases from 90 to 990 years.
Delegates looked at options for addressing stakeholder concerns around the affordability of leaseholds, maintenance of property and uncertainty around implementation, especially in the lead up to a general election, with further discussion on the ripple effects on the broader residential market.
They also looked ahead to priorities for the Government’s next stage of reform aiming to abolish new leaseholds for new houses, as well as addressing current exceptions to the ban, including the decision not to ban new leaseholds for flats, exemptions for retirement housing, and land that has already been leased.
Further sessions examined issues going forward, including redress in property disputes, the implementation of ground rent reforms, and the impact on markets, landlords and developers.
Discussion considered alternatives to leasehold, including the future place of commonhold, with a focus on the suitability of the model for the English and Welsh markets, how the model could be made more attractive for lenders, developers and investors, and making the process more efficient and less costly.
We are pleased to have been able to include keynote sessions with: Judge Siobhan McGrath, President, First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), Courts and Tribunals Judiciary; Professor Nicholas Hopkins, Commissioner, Law Commission of England and Wales; and Professor Martin Dixon, Professor of the Law of Real Property, University of Cambridge.
The conference was an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside key policy officials who attended from DLUHC; DWP; Law Commission; GLD; DBT; HM Land Registry; Homes England; Defra; HMRC; and the Welsh Government.
