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Leaseholders in Bristol are facing “extortionate” service charges and feel bullied and exploited by property management companies, according to a new report being published jointly by Green MPs Carla Denyer and Sian Berry.
The report, which the pair have submitted to the government’s consultation on leasehold reform, details the experiences of their constituents living in leasehold properties and the struggles they have faced with fees, poor service and treatment at the hands of management companies, and difficulty in selling up.
The government’s consultation follows the passage of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act last year, and aims to seek views on how the measures in the act should be implemented. The Labour government has promised to bring forward new legislation this year to further reform the leasehold system.
But the Green MPs criticised the consultation process, saying that the consultation portal was “laced with technical issues, full of bureaucratic jargon, and presumptive of the issues the Leasehold Reform Act needed to amend.”
Carla Denyer described the leasehold system as “feudal”, calling for it to be abolished as soon as possible to protect residents from being exploited by management companies, and for the government to take urgent action to protect those currently suffering from excessive charges and poor treatment in leasehold homes.
Carla Denyer MP said:
“I have heard absolute horror stories from some of my constituents about their experiences of living in leasehold flats. They are being held to ransom by property management companies charging extortionate and constantly rising fees, with no transparency about how that money is being spent.
“It’s clear that the feudal leasehold system needs to be abolished as soon as possible, and action is needed from government to protect those who are already living in leasehold homes and suffering hugely as a result.
“I welcome the government’s plans to act on this, but it’s disappointing that the consultation process has made it difficult for leaseholders to make their voices heard, with a glitchy and jargon-filled consultation portal which only allowed residents to respond on a narrow range of issues.
“So in order to help my constituents have their voices heard, along with Sian Berry MP I am submitting this report to the consultation setting out in detail the issues that leaseholders in Bristol Central are facing. I hope the government will listen.”