Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an estimate of the number of households that are located on estate roads that have not been adopted by their local authority as of 17 October 2024.

We do not hold comprehensive information on the number of households that are located on estate roads that have not been adopted by their local authority.

The impact assessment for the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act estimated that 1,557,000 households lived on freehold estates. This is based upon data from the English Housing Survey (up to 2021 – 22) about the self-reported circumstances of households. This will include estates with a range of different charges not all of which will have unadopted roads. The impact assessment noted that this was likely to be an underestimate.

It is likely that the number of households living on freehold estates has increased since this estimate was completed. The Competition and Markets Authority estimated that over 80% of properties built in 2021 – 22 by the largest 11 housebuilders, representing around two fifths of all new builds across England Scotland and Wales, were subject to estate management charges.

The Government has published its response the Competition and Market’s Authority’s housebuilding study. This includes bringing forward a new consumer code for housebuilders and a New Homes Ombudsman service which will empower homeowners to rightly challenge developers for any quality issues they face in their home.

As outlined in the King’s Speech, the government is committed to bring the injustice of ‘fleecehold’ private estates and unfair costs to an end – we will consult on the best way to achieve this. As part of this work, the government will consult with homeowners, developers, local authorities, management companies and others, to gather evidence in support of this commitment. We will also implement new protections for homeowners on private estates in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.