Readers have responded to a recent Guardian article on the National Leasehold Campaign, expressing frustration over the treatment of leasehold flat owners in England and Wales. One reader described being a second-class citizen in the eyes of freeholders, councils, and the government.
Development disruptions and powerlessness
A reader whose freehold was purchased by developers reported that new flats were built on top of their homes, causing restricted daylight from scaffolding erected six months before work began, water ingress from intruders stealing copper, and noise from evening and bank holiday work. The local council had little power to deal with complaints, and the MP’s office forwarded replies from freeholders that did not address the issues raised.
Financial loophole ignored by policymakers
Another reader, a director of a right-to-manage company, highlighted a financial loophole affecting millions of flat owners. While the proposed draft commonhold and leasehold reform bill introduces caps on ground rents, it fails to protect leaseholders’ service charges and reserve funds. Under current regulations, if a managing agent’s client accounts are frozen or mismanaged, leaseholders are left exposed. Regulators, industry bodies, and banks pass the buck, leaving residents without access to their own capital for essentials like building insurance or utility bills.
“Hundreds of thousands of pounds of collective savings from a block can vanish or become trapped overnight, with absolutely no regulatory safety net,” the reader wrote. They called on the government to mandate a transition to true commonhold, stating that transparency about how leaseholders are being ripped off is not enough.
Role of solicitors questioned
A third reader expressed surprise that solicitors’ roles are not scrutinised more, noting that if a solicitor had let them sign a contract containing a doubling clause without pointing it out, they would take the solicitor to court for professional negligence. Given that solicitors are often recommended by developers, they seem to have been acting with a conflict of interest.
