A pattern of “breakdown in communication” and a “failure by landlords” to adhere to terms of leases runs beneath many enquiries made to the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE).
These are the findings from the latest LEASE Shared Ownership Insight Report which analysed nearly 800 enquires from shared owners between 2025 and 2026.
The report highlighted challenges within the structure of shared ownership, particularly with staircasing, buy-backs or resale restrictions, lease extensions and subletting.
Some of the longest-running issues in the dataset were repairs and building enquiries the report noted, covering everything from damp and mould to cladding and fire safety.
Another theme of enquiries the data revealed was difficulties shared owners face in pursuing redress through regulatory bodies such as the Housing Ombudsman, Homes England, Tribunals and the County Courts. As well as rising and opaque building insurance costs and growing uncertainty around how and when to act ahead of implementation of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.
Meanwhile around one in three enquiries made to LEASE were found to be concerning service charges, with both leaseholders and shared owners reporting concerns with “transparency” around cost breakdowns and not being able to “get a breakdown of what they are paying for, why costs have increased, or how a major works consultation was run”.
The report explained that many shared owners are paying a mortgage, rent and service charges at the same time, so unexpected costs or delays can be particularly hard to manage.
It also analysed how issues arising from shared owners trying to sell or extend a lease, or dealing with disrepair or changing circumstances can affect conveyancers.
Dr Kion Ahadi, chief executive of LEASE, said: “Shared ownership can provide an important route into home ownership for people who might otherwise be unable to buy.
“But it is also a complex form of home ownership, and when something goes wrong, people need to be able to understand their options and get the help they need.
“This report shows why clear information matters throughout the shared ownership journey. People need to understand what they are buying from the outset, know their rights and responsibilities, and be able to get clear explanations and timely responses from their landlord or managing agent when questions or problems arise.
“By bringing together the issues shared owners raise with us, we can build a clearer picture of where shared ownership is not working well for the people who come to us and share those insights with government and the wider sector. We hope this report will contribute to a better understanding of how shared ownership is experienced in practice.”
