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<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>
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