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<p>The Government wants to ensure the leasehold system in England is fair and transparent
to the consumer. Unfair practices in the leasehold market have no place in a modern
housing market. Neither do excessive ground rents, which exploit consumers who get
nothing in return. <br> <br> Our technical consultation on how to improve the leasehold
market and make it fairer for consumers closed on 26 November. It sought views on:</p><ul><li>how
to ban the development of new build leasehold houses, other than in exceptional circumstances;</li><li>how
to restrict ground rents in newly established leases of houses and flats to a nominal,
peppercorn value; and</li><li>how to address loopholes in the law to improve transparency
and fairness for leaseholders and freeholders.</li></ul><p>The Government is carefully
analysing the responses and will introduce legislation as soon as Parliamentary time
allows</p><p><br>The Secretary of State has asked the Law Commission to take forward
further work to reform residential and commonhold law. The Law Commission is currently
consulting on how to make buying a freehold or extending a lease easier, faster, fairer
and cheaper, and how to reinvigorate commonhold to provide greater choice for consumers.
The Law Commission is due to report to ministers on these issues in 2019. In addition,
the Secretary of State has asked the Law Commission to look at improving the laws
which allow leaseholders to manage their own buildings.</p>
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