HorNet – Stop the Rot! Adopt the Lot!

We have started to release short videos on social media to really clarify and promote our message that the fundamental issue is lack of adoption. Regulation of private managing agents does not cut it and neither does informing buyers at the point of sale – they might have more of a clue but the open ended liability is still there as is the unfairness of one estate providing public amenities for the whole local area! No amount of regulation and self management addresses these.

This first video illustrates perfectly the ignorance on the benches of what estate charges are about. There are many examples in letters from MPs and the department and the confusion appears to have arisen by government advisers conflating “fleecehold” with leaseholder. Chalk and cheese!

In response to pressure and in spite of support from his friends at LKP, the Housing Minister was forced to defend how slowly and inadequately his department is acting to “quickly” implement the last government’s Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act (LAFRA) and also bring to an end the injustice of “fleecehold”. You can read his statement of 21st November 2024 here.

You will see there is very little to suggest anything other than more talking, in spite of the government handing the big builders a shopping basket of 1.5M homes – all with a bonus injustice? Estate management charges seem to have somehow become “son of leasehold” in spite of our campaign for adoption and the findings of the CMA.

We say this:

We have taken a little time to think about the governments’ response to the Competition and Markets Authority recommendations in their recent Housebuilding Market Study. The CMA have recommended more adoption together with better regulation and consumer protection. We do not agree that regulation will solve all of the issues caused by privately managed public areas, only adoption will do this.

Our main concern now is to avoid a two tier system leaving existing estates privately managed and further devalued whilst new future estates are adopted. We have to push for universal adoption and ask our supporters to email their MPs asking them to put pressure on the government to change their tack and put an end to this iniquitous exploit for good.

Here is our statement which you can download and forward to your MP, councillors and the media. We have to hold the government to account – they have made promises in their election manifesto and in the King’s speech.

Please share far and wide!