Committee publication · Correspondence · 22 April 2026
Letter from LEASE to the Chair dated 30 March 2026 following up oral evidence given on 17 March
From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Inquiry: Pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill
Summary
LEASE (the Leasehold Advisory Service) writes to the HCLG Committee Chair following oral evidence on 17 March 2026 regarding the draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill. The letter provides detailed evidence on commonhold education needs, service charge complaints (one in three LEASE enquiries), and building management statistics, while clarifying the author's personal support for commonhold conversion despite earlier comments being misrepresented.
Key findings
- Service charges are LEASE's most commonly raised issue: 34% of leaseholder enquiries in 2024/25 (rising to 40% when section 20 major works are included), up from 27% in 2021/22.
- Fewer than 20% of high-rise buildings registered with the Building Safety Regulator are managed by residents: 14.8% run by Resident Management Companies and 4.5% by Right to Manage Companies.
- Commonhold education and clear guidance are essential to consumer adoption, covering how associations work, decision-making, and resident participation.
- Converting to commonhold can reduce administrative costs by eliminating the section 20 consultation process and enable improvements (e.g. solar panels) currently blocked by lease restrictions.
- LEASE has published insight reports on section 20 consultations, park home site sale blocking, and leasehold redress system navigation, with further reports planned.
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
Martin Boyd, Florence Eshalomi MP, LEASE (Leasehold Advisory Service), Building Safety Regulator, Sarah Smith MP
Notable line
“… fewer than 20% of high-rise buildings are currently managed by the people who pay the bills.”
Key Quotes
“The Government's draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill marks one of the most significant changes to flat ownership in England and Wales for generations.”
“One in three enquiries to LEASE in 2024/25 involved service charges, making it the most commonly raised issue that LEASE advises on.”
“Of the 13 461 high-rise buildings registered with the BSR, 14.8% are run by a Resident Management Company and a further 4.5% are run by a Right to Manage Company.”
“The s20 process automatically adds both a delay and extra costs to any larger project.”
“Unlike many leases, a commonhold site can agree to improve the building over time if there is relevant support.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗