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1086545

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Housing Estates: Unfair Practices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to tackle excessive fees charged to freehold homeowners by developers for maintaining common areas in housing estates.
	tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
	tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
	uin	230675
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government has committed to ensuring that freeholders who pay charges for the maintenance of communal areas and facilities on a private or mixed tenure estate can access equivalent rights as leaseholders to challenge their reasonableness. In addition, we have committed to protecting leaseholders who are suffering at the hands of rogue managing agents every day from unexpected costs or excessive fees for poor quality repairs.</p><p>We intend to create a new statutory regime for freeholders based on the leaseholder rights contained in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This will ensure maintenance charges must be reasonably incurred and services provided are of an acceptable standard. We will provide freeholders with the ability to challenge the reasonableness of the charges they are required to pay towards the maintenance of communal areas and facilities at the First-tier Tribunal. We are also considering whether freeholders should have a right to change the provider of maintenance services by applying to the tribunal for the appointment of a new manager. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.</p><p>We have asked Lord Best to chair a working group to look at regulating and professionalising property agents. This includes reviewing the standards around the transparency of service charges and other fees and charges, how they are presented to consumers and putting them into a statutory code for managing agents. Lord Best’s working group will report back to Ministers later this summer.</p><p>We are also looking at the future use of charges and restrictions beyond service charges – such as permission fees, administration charges and other restrictions and covenants faced by leaseholders and resident freeholders, and consider whether they should be capped or banned. We will consider this alongside Lord Bests proposals.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse grouped question UIN 230676 230679 question first answered 14/03/2019 14:17:06 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers

1086546

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Housing Estates: Unfair Practices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his forthcoming legislation on excessive fees charged in relation to leasehold homes will also regulate charges levied on the owners of freehold homes by developers for maintaining common areas in housing estates.
	tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
	tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
	uin	230676
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government has committed to ensuring that freeholders who pay charges for the maintenance of communal areas and facilities on a private or mixed tenure estate can access equivalent rights as leaseholders to challenge their reasonableness. In addition, we have committed to protecting leaseholders who are suffering at the hands of rogue managing agents every day from unexpected costs or excessive fees for poor quality repairs.</p><p>We intend to create a new statutory regime for freeholders based on the leaseholder rights contained in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This will ensure maintenance charges must be reasonably incurred and services provided are of an acceptable standard. We will provide freeholders with the ability to challenge the reasonableness of the charges they are required to pay towards the maintenance of communal areas and facilities at the First-tier Tribunal. We are also considering whether freeholders should have a right to change the provider of maintenance services by applying to the tribunal for the appointment of a new manager. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.</p><p>We have asked Lord Best to chair a working group to look at regulating and professionalising property agents. This includes reviewing the standards around the transparency of service charges and other fees and charges, how they are presented to consumers and putting them into a statutory code for managing agents. Lord Best’s working group will report back to Ministers later this summer.</p><p>We are also looking at the future use of charges and restrictions beyond service charges – such as permission fees, administration charges and other restrictions and covenants faced by leaseholders and resident freeholders, and consider whether they should be capped or banned. We will consider this alongside Lord Bests proposals.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse grouped question UIN 230675 230679 question first answered 14/03/2019 14:17:06 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers

1086547

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Leasehold: Unfair Practices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on tackling excessive charges levied on the owners of leasehold homes.
	tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
	tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
	uin	230677
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to leaseholders receiving fair and transparent charges. For this reason, we asked Lord Best and his Property Agent Working Group to consider leasehold service charges. This includes reviewing the standards around the transparency of service charges and other fees and charges, how they are presented to consumers and putting them into a statutory code for managing agents, which will be beneficial to all leaseholders. We expect to receive the Working Group's recommendations this summer and we will respond with our plans later this year.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler grouped question UIN 230678 question first answered 14/03/2019 14:12:45 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers

1086548

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Leasehold: Unfair Practices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the legislation he plans to bring forward to tackle excessive charges levied on leaseholders will apply to existing arrangements or only to new homes completed after the legislation comes into force.
	tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
	tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
	uin	230678
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to leaseholders receiving fair and transparent charges. For this reason, we asked Lord Best and his Property Agent Working Group to consider leasehold service charges. This includes reviewing the standards around the transparency of service charges and other fees and charges, how they are presented to consumers and putting them into a statutory code for managing agents, which will be beneficial to all leaseholders. We expect to receive the Working Group's recommendations this summer and we will respond with our plans later this year.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler grouped question UIN 230677 question first answered 14/03/2019 14:12:45 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers

1086549

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Housing Estates: Unfair Practices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has plans to introduce legislative proposals to replicate the provisions of the Freehold Properties (Management Charges and Shared Facilities) Bill 2017-19 introduced by the Hon Member for Bishop Auckland.
	tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
	tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
	uin	230679
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government has committed to ensuring that freeholders who pay charges for the maintenance of communal areas and facilities on a private or mixed tenure estate can access equivalent rights as leaseholders to challenge their reasonableness. In addition, we have committed to protecting leaseholders who are suffering at the hands of rogue managing agents every day from unexpected costs or excessive fees for poor quality repairs.</p><p>We intend to create a new statutory regime for freeholders based on the leaseholder rights contained in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This will ensure maintenance charges must be reasonably incurred and services provided are of an acceptable standard. We will provide freeholders with the ability to challenge the reasonableness of the charges they are required to pay towards the maintenance of communal areas and facilities at the First-tier Tribunal. We are also considering whether freeholders should have a right to change the provider of maintenance services by applying to the tribunal for the appointment of a new manager. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.</p><p>We have asked Lord Best to chair a working group to look at regulating and professionalising property agents. This includes reviewing the standards around the transparency of service charges and other fees and charges, how they are presented to consumers and putting them into a statutory code for managing agents. Lord Best’s working group will report back to Ministers later this summer.</p><p>We are also looking at the future use of charges and restrictions beyond service charges – such as permission fees, administration charges and other restrictions and covenants faced by leaseholders and resident freeholders, and consider whether they should be capped or banned. We will consider this alongside Lord Bests proposals.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse grouped question UIN 230675 230676 question first answered 14/03/2019 14:17:06 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers

1087098

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Tenancy Agreements
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress he is making in his plans to enable more people to have longer tenancies than the typical six months which is generally offered.
	tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
	tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
	uin	231404
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to protecting the rights of tenants and giving them more security. We recently consulted on ways to overcome the barriers to landlords offering longer, more secure tenancies in the private rented sector.</p><p>We are considering responses to the consultation and will be bringing forward proposals that make the system work for both tenants and landlords. We will provide more information on next steps shortly.</p><p>In the meantime, there is nothing to stop landlords offering a longer tenancy. We have published a model tenancy agreement which landlords and tenants can use as the basis for longer, family friendly tenancies, available for free at <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/model-agreement-for-a-shorthold-assured-tenancy" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/model-agreement-for-a-shorthold-assured-tenancy</a>. In addition, the measures announced in the Housing White Paper resulted in many of the largest build to rent operators offering their tenants the option of longer tenancies.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 15/03/2019 14:31:44 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers

1088257

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Empty Property
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to bring unoccupied properties back into use.
	tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
	tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
	uin	231954
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government has given strong powers and incentives to local authorities to tackle empty homes. From 1 April 2019, they will have discretion to increase the maximum level of premium charged on properties that have been empty for more than two years, from 50 per cent to 100 per cent extra council tax, through new powers afforded by the Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Act 2018. In addition, the New Homes Bonus allows local authorities to earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back into use as building a new one.</p><p>Under certain circumstances, local authorities can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) to temporarily take over the management of a property that has been empty for more than two years in order to bring it back into use. They must provide evidence that the property represents a nuisance, and that there is community support for their proposal.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 18/03/2019 16:00:17 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers

1123559

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Freehold
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government's proposals to reform the rules on charges levied on freehold home owners for maintenance of (a) related roads and (b) facilities will apply to existing arrangements for that maintenance.
	tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
	tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
	uin	248606
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government has committed to ensuring that freehold home owners who pay charges for the maintenance of communal areas and facilities on a private or mixed tenure estate can access equivalent rights as leaseholders to challenge their reasonableness.</p><p>We intend to create a new statutory regime, to cover both existing and future freeholders, based on the leaseholder rights contained in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This will ensure maintenance charges must be reasonably incurred and services provided are of an acceptable standard. We will provide freeholders with the ability to challenge the reasonableness of the charges they are required to pay towards the maintenance of communal areas and facilities at the First-tier Tribunal. We are also considering whether freeholders should have a right to change the provider of maintenance services by applying to the tribunal for the appointment of a new manager. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 02/05/2019 15:01:30 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers

1130499

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Leasehold: Fees and Charges
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the timeframe is for the publication of legislative proposal to reform the charges levied on the owners of leasehold properties; and whether that legislation include reform of the charges levied on freeholders.
	tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
	tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
	uin	261164
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for leaseholders and residential freeholders and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service.</p><p>The Government believes that service charges should be transparent, communicated effectively and that there should be a clear route to challenge or redress if things go wrong. That is why we have established a working group chaired by Lord Best to raise standards across the property sector and consider how fees such as service charges should be presented to consumers and to explore the best means to challenge fees which are unjustified. The group is instructed to report back to Government in July 2019.</p><p>The Government will legislate to ensure that freeholders who pay charges for the maintenance of communal areas and facilities on a private or mixed use estate, can access equivalent rights as leaseholders to challenge the reasonableness of service charges.</p><p>The Government intends to bring forward the legislation to make these changes as soon as parliamentary time allows.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 11/06/2019 16:54:36 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers

1138148

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	London Underground: Land
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions have taken place between (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have held with (i) TfL and (ii) the Mayor of London on plans to build on land around High Barnet, Cockfosters and Finchley Central underground stations within the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
	tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
	uin	275710
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2019 answer text <p>There have been no discussions between MHCLG and (i) TfL or (ii) the Mayor of London regarding building on land around High Barnet, Cockfosters and Finchley Central underground stations.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 15/07/2019 14:47:01 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers