Slow but sure or too little too late?
The government have just announced two consultations. one on adoption instead of private management and another on improving rights of existing estate dwellers with estate charges. Along with these the secretary of state, Matthew Pennycook, has also announced that the draconian remedies in the Law of Property act 1925 (section 121 and 122) are to be repealed.
We welcome the opportunity to respond and the generous time given for response (12 weeks) we will provide guidance to our supporters to help them consider how to respond early in the new year.
We are pleased to read that the government are working towards the two main CMA recommendations of :
1) more LA adoption
2) giving more rights to those on existing estates
Our initial response is qualified by the following major points:
1) We have a continuing concern that a two tier system is developing, thus devaluing homes on existing privately managed estates. There is a need for greater speed of action to stop this gap growing ever wider. Buyers will always go for a home on an adopted estate, all else being equal.
2) As we have been saying for years now, regulating agents and/or self management does not remove the liability for a sub set of local residents to pay for the upkeep of public amenities. This fundamental unfairness must be stopped, especially as construction standards are low and there is no quality control process at handover. To stop the rot – adopt the lot!
3) We are disappointed that government persist in erroneously calling this a freehold problem. Again, we have repeatedly tried to convey the message that where estate charges exist on mixed estates they are levied on leaseholders, businesses and on social housing tenants via their rents. Whilst freehold home owners may be in the majority and are making the most noise, there are other groups trapped in this model, some of them much more vulnerable.
Here is a video from 12 Jan 2026 where the housing minister shows he is stuck in the groove of “freehold”estates and managing agent regulation when answering Mary Foy MP.
On a brighter note we welcome the governments proposal to repeal the draconian remedies under section 121 and 122 of the Law of Property act 1925, which have enabled rent charge owners to force unreasonable payments. Its an important step which would never have been needed if successive governments had not ignored the problems of lack of adoption years ago. As a campaign group we have our tenth anniversary in April 2026!
