A report from Propertymark has found leaseholders remain trapped by rising costs, complex rules and an uncertain market, despite legislative progress.
Leasehold: Still a Life Sentence?, produced in partnership with the National Leasehold Campaign and the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, is based on insights and evidence from Propertymark members and current leaseholders.
It sets out why it remains essential for policymakers to introduce further reforms to drive the transition to commonhold and support existing leaseholders who cannot wait for its adoption.
“A status quo where 90% of buyers regret their purchase of a leasehold property cannot continue, and a functional leasehold market cannot rely on misunderstanding or ignorance of the system,” the estate agent body said.
The report comes eight years after Leasehold: A Life Sentence, a Propertymark report highlighting the widespread challenges facing leaseholders across England and Wales. The report exposed restrictive lease terms, consumer concerns, and the overall impact leasehold has on the housing market.
Katie Kendrick OBE, founder of the National Leasehold Campaign, said: “Eight years on, this report makes one thing undeniable: leasehold remains a life sentence. The NLC strongly support its findings.
“Despite nearly a decade of commitments, progress has been too slow, too limited, and too easily diluted. As a result, too many leaseholders remain trapped – unable to sell, unable to move, and facing costs they cannot afford. This is not just a failure for leaseholders – it is a failure of the housing market.”
She added: “This report reinforces a simple but urgent truth: without immediate, targeted reform for existing leaseholders, the crisis will persist – for individuals, for families, and for the wider housing system.”
Sebastian O’Kelly, director at the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, said: “Despite nearly a decade of promises, consultations and legislation, too many leaseholders remain trapped in homes they cannot sell, facing escalating service charges, unaffordable lease extension costs and ground rents that continue to blight the market.
Propertymark CEO Nathan Emerson concluded: “While leasehold reform is needed, relying solely on commonhold could leave thousands of existing leaseholders without meaningful change for decades.
“Our evidence highlights the need to support current leaseholders during the transition. However, it remains essential that reforms deliver meaningful and measurable change, creating a system that is fit for future generations.”
