Vaughan Gething emphasizes the need for urgent reforms to the leasehold system in Wales to protect homeowners from unfair practices
Cardiff: Vaughan Gething is really pushing for some serious changes to the leasehold system. He’s calling it “long overdue” and is worried about how unfair it is for homeowners.
He pointed out that new leasehold properties are still popping up in Wales, even though we’ve seen a big rise in them over the last twenty years.
During a recent debate, he mentioned how long leases often come with annual ground rent. The kicker? Landlords don’t have to provide any real service in return.
It’s like a sneaky way for landlords to squeeze money from leaseholders, who have little power to fight back against these demands.
While he acknowledged a ban on ground rent for new leases introduced by the Tories in 2022, he stressed that those already in the system are still facing rising costs.
Gething, who represents Cardiff South and Penarth, raised concerns about how tough it is for leaseholders to buy their freehold. He even shared a story from his area to illustrate the problem.
He said it’s just not fair. Leaseholders have to put in a lot of time and money, but the odds are stacked against them.
He also mentioned that many leaseholders feel trapped and can’t easily find out about the fees they’re being charged.
Plus, if they try to manage their estates and fail, they could end up stuck with the freeholder’s legal costs. That’s a big risk!
Jayne Bryant, the housing secretary appointed by Gething, agrees that reform is necessary. She’s on board with the idea of a joint approach for Wales and England.
She mentioned that a leasehold reform bill is expected to come out in late 2025, which should bring some much-needed changes to make commonhold a real option.
