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You are here: Home / Latest News / New Housing Minister hits the ground running

New Housing Minister hits the ground running

February 20, 2018 //  by Martin Boyd

New Housing Minister Heather Wheeler, MP for South Derbyshire.  has already been answered two written questions on leasehold housing and her answers could not be clearer.
On 30th January Southport MP, Damian Moore, asked:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department has made on bringing forward legislative proposals to reform leaseholds and registered social landlords.
On 6th February Heather Wheeler replied:
The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for leaseholders and freeholders and on 21 December 2017 set out a range of measures to tackle abuses and unfair practices in the leasehold market.

This includes introducing legislation to prohibit the development of new build leasehold houses, other than in exceptional circumstances; restricting ground rents in newly established leases of houses and flats to a peppercorn (zero financial value); and working with the Law Commission to support existing leaseholders – including making buying a freehold or extending a lease easier, faster, fairer and cheaper.

We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

We are also aiming to publish the Social Housing Green Paper in the spring. We have met a number of Registered Social Landlords and their tenants as part of this wide ranging review of the issues and concerns relating to social housing.

LKP welcomes the very clear statement from the Minister. We have moved a long way from the days of Minister Grant Shapps saw almost nothing wrong in the leasehold sector.

Related posts:

Scorn for housing minister’s evidence to Select Committee Every other major economy has moved away from residential leasehold so why not us, asks shadow housing minister Sarah Jones We are dissatisfied with the running of LEASE, APPG chairs tells housing minister Housebuilders ground rent scandal compo schemes ‘must go further and faster’, says housing minister Are half the right to buyers in housing minister’s Croydon constituency on housing benefit?

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Comments

  1. Fiona

    February 20, 2018 at 7:48 pm

    I truly welcome all cross party political support in changing the current legislation as freeholders have taken advantage of LEASEHOLDERS for far too long!

    Although, i can appreciate that this may not be an easy process, a review & change needs to be implemented without further delay.

    Although the Court of Appeal may have raised question over James Wyatts Pathenia works, I’m told that it is far more accurate than the current method used by the Governments current biased& outdated method of calculation, yet has involved years of analysis…so, I strongly urge the Government to work with James Wyatt to speed up the process of finding a solution, otherwise we could be waiting another 20 years!

  2. ollie

    February 21, 2018 at 12:37 am

    Its quicker if the Chancellor introduces new taxes for ground rent income investment

    (a) 45% tax rate on ground rent paid by leaseholders and capital gains tax of 45% on companies trading in sale of freehold titles. of residential block of flats and no free sdlt transfers of portfolios to other companies.

    (b) withdraws the loan interest as an allowable expense against rental income for companies owning more that one freehold unless part of same estate address.

    And the Housing Minister to change the market balance : :

    (c) bring forward Justin Madders bill’ s for enfranchisement for blocks of leasehold flats priced at 10 x annual ground rent

    (d) to withdraw the proceedings for forfeiture of long residential leases.

    (e) to remove the 2 years waiting period as leaseholder before being allowed to purchase the freehold title of houses .

    No need to wait for Law Commission to make recommendations because they will be tainted to comply with existing legislation.
    Just think outside the box and no need to show favours to companies set up for exploitation of leaseholders.
    If you remove the “tax props to profitability” for ground rent investment companies in UK , they will fade away into liquidation.

  3. ollie

    February 21, 2018 at 12:45 pm

    I was wondering where Heather Wheeler was dropped into the hot seat called ” Housing Minister ”

    Here is the official appointment posts announced on 9th Jan 2018 :

    Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

    Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government – Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP

    Minister of State – Dominic Raab MP

    Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Jake Berry MP

    Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Heather Wheeler MP

    Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Rishi Sunak MP

    Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (jointly with the Wales Office)

  4. Michael Hollands

    February 21, 2018 at 5:30 pm

    On several websites including TheGuardian right up to the end of January 2018, it states the Housing Minister to be Domnic Raab
    Can somebody explain the current position please.

    • Martin

      February 21, 2018 at 7:58 pm

      We have two housing Ministers. Dominic Raab is housing supply and Heather Wheeler is leasehold commonhold PRS and homelessness

      • ollie

        February 21, 2018 at 11:26 pm

        Heather Wheeler has been MP for 17 years for South Derbyshire .

        Does anyone know how many leasehold properties in her constituency ?

        Is she clued up about “Leasehold abuse”, Skimming of commissions from Buildings Insurance , Landlord & Tenant Act Offences under the local Housing Officer doesn’t work ?
        Does she (or the Civil Servants advising her) understand the economic difference between Leasehold system and Commonhold . system ?.

  5. June A. Van Orman

    February 27, 2018 at 2:09 pm

    Sajid Javid MP – was Secretary of State for Housing Communities & Local Government. All of a sudden we get Heather Wheeler MP for Housing and The Homeless.. Prior to this change, I wanted some information so wrote to my Local MP in North West Cumbria. She, at first, was waiting for a reply from MP Sajid Javid. I later got a letter from my MP and it included a letter from the new MP Heather Wheeler for Housing. The tone of the new Minister’s letter was not helpful and going by this, I very much doubt that Leasehold/Freehold problems, and the trap we were all led into, will be a priority for the Government.

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