Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the average cost of leasehold enfranchisement for (a) leasehold houses, (b) leasehold flats and (c) all leasehold properties in each year since 2010.
The Government does not collect this data and has made no estimate of the cost. There is no single method for the valuation of enfranchisement of leasehold houses or flats and the Government is aware of unfair practices, which have led to leaseholders paying substantial sums on the premium and costs associated with enfranchising.
This is why the Government has asked the Law Commission to review the enfranchisement process to make it simpler, easier, quicker and more cost effective. Its consultation, which included proposals for a unified valuation methodology, closed on 7 January 2019. The Law Commission will publish its final report later this year.