The HomeOwner Survey 2019 - Concerns, trends and how we feel about our homes

Spotlight on leasehold issues Sharp rise in concern about the leasehold/ freehold system The majority of leaseholders experience problems The much-criticised leasehold system has been the fastest rising housing issue over the past five years • 60% of UK adults now say the leasehold/ freehold system - including service charges, ground rent and other fees - is a serious problem. This is up from 42% in 2015. The issue registers similar levels of concern across all regions in England. The most common leaseholder problems relate to high costs and a lack of control, communication and transparency • 54% of leaseholders, themselves, say they have encountered problems. • More than a quarter (26%) of leaseholders complained about high cost of works and management fees while just under a quarter objected to unfair service charges (22%) and a lack of control over which major works are done (23%). • Nearly one in five leaseholders (18%) report difficulty getting necessary works done. Others find a lack of transparency about costs (17%) or difficulty finding or communicating with their freeholder (15%).