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I am surprised at what I see as complacency from quite a few of the commentators below. Surely it is up to a solicitor to advise. To my mind just giving a bland statement that the rent doubles every 10/20 years is not sufficient. It has to be linked with a statement that the client should understand that it means that at year x the rent will be £4,000.00, and then £8,000.etc per annum. When a client sees those figures it is my experience that they will not proceed.
Most lenders have also been unwilling to lend on this type of ground rent. Unfortunately many solicitors have not always appreciated how the ground rent will increase, and so many lenders may have not been told the true position. A solicitor may be able to convince himself that the buyer has to make his own mind up, but I fear that lenders will be more difficult to satisfy if they find themselves having to repossess a property with such a ground rent.
I agree that developers have recommended many buyers to solicitors who have found it difficult to be independent.
There is no need in the vast majority of estate sales (excluding apartments) for the property to be sold with a ground rent. Even for apartments a nominal rent of say £100.00 pa, increasing in line with inflation would be quite sufficient. It has just been a device for the builder to get an additional profit when they sell the freehold. Buyers solicitors should have been more willing to recommend that their clients don't proceed.