Last week was a busy week in leasehold reform.

On Monday 15th I attended the all-party parliamentary group on leasehold reform to discuss the Leasehold Reform Bill currently making its way through Parliament. This was ably hosted as ever by the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership who run the secretariat to the APPG.

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill is currently in its committee stage, and the select committee have been accepting written and oral submissions. I and others have made written submissions, to the select committee through ALEP. Two ALEP members, Angus Fanshawe and Philip Rainey KC gave their expert views on the Bill and its likely impacts to the committee last week, which was broadcast and some of it can be found here: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/5fbcfd1b-7d40-4636-aad9-625132a1c490

After this, the Bill makes its way to the Lords and we also await the outcomes of the Select Committees deliberations which we expect after 1^st February 2024, and or possibly earlier if they decide to conclude their discussion earlier.

Mark Chick

If you’ve not already done so it’s time to get your responses into the Ground Rent Consultation which closes on the 17th of January 2024.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/modern-leasehold-restricting-ground-rent-for-existing-leases/modern-leasehold-restricting-ground-rent-for-existing-leases

And that is without also mentioning the Call for Evidence see:

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill: call for evidence

https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2023/december-2023/leasehold-and-freehold-reform-bill-call-for-evidence/

The select committee is meeting this week on the 16th at 18th January 2024.

Ideally all responses should be in as soon as possible, as although the Committee says that it will conclude matters after 1 February 2024, looking at the small print appears that they can bring mattters to a close sooner. 

See in particular these notes from the Parliament website: 

The first sitting of the Public Bill Committee is expected to be on Tuesday 16 January and the Committee is scheduled to report by Thursday 1 February. However, please note that when the Committee concludes its consideration of the Bill it is no longer able to receive written evidence and it can conclude earlier than the expected deadline of 5.00pm on Thursday 1 February. You are strongly advised to submit your written evidence as soon as possible.

Your submission should be emailed to scrutiny@parliament.uk

Further guidance on submitting written evidence can be found here (pdf, 1MB).

There is certainly a sense of things moving apace !