Report comment

I am not a lawyer, I bought a leasehold flat 3 years ago. I know very much more about leasehold now. Leasehold law is an antique, rotting edifice which has enabled a select few to enrich themselves at the expense of leaseholders. Some of the legal profession have made a handsome living out of leasehold, with the balance now firmly in favour of the freeholder over the leaseholder.
Leasehold law as it is now needs to be abolished entirely, and we start again from the ground up, using the best aspects of a commonhold approach for flats, and only freehold without conditions for houses.
A flat leaseholder should be able to buy their individual share of the freehold of the building at any time, or do a lease extension, either of these options for a fair price, which is easily worked out without the need to employ surveyors and solicitors at great expense. All new build houses to be sold freehold, new flats and buildings converted to flats to be sold commonhold. Hopefully then leasehold can die off over time.
Some parts of the legal profession need to get their snouts out of the leasehold trough, and all decent, fair minded people campaign for a commonhold type law that is fit for the 21st century, not the 18th. England and Wales are almost unique with leasehold, we need to leave it behind, and join the rest of the civilised world. The Law Commission review, welcome as it is, is polishing a giant t***, the result will still be a good living for leasehold practitioners because it is still too complex, when we need something that is straightforward and fair for all.