Housing: Leasehold Properties

Lord Campbell-Savours Excerpts
Monday 17th October 2022

(2 years, 1 month ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Lord McFall of Alcluith Portrait The Lord Speaker (Lord McFall of Alcluith)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

We have a remote contribution from the noble Lord, Lord Campbell-Savours.

Lord Campbell-Savours Portrait Lord Campbell-Savours (Lab) [V]
- View Speech - Hansard - -

My Lords, with dramatically escalating service charges nationally aggravating the position, is not the answer greater transparency over leasehold, freehold and sub-lease title issues more generally? Transparency alone can often solve problems where landlord anonymity hides accountability. If that is combined with the rolling-up of lease liability payments pending payment on the death of a lessee under the debenture arrangements I proposed on 20 June, it would ease the problem. Will the Government please look at what I am proposing?

Baroness Scott of Bybrook Portrait Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

The law is very clear that service charges must be reasonable, as in Section 19 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Leaseholders can apply for a First-tier Tribunal for a determination on this. The Government are also committed to ensuring that service charges are, as the noble Lord says, transparent and that there should be a clear route to challenge or redress if things go wrong. We will continue to work on that for the people affected.