Leaseholders in England and Wales to have ground rent capped at £250 a year

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Jamie GriersonJanuary 27, 2026 at 08:45 AM
Leaseholders in England and Wales to have ground rent capped at £250 a year

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

The government in England and Wales is proposing reforms to the leasehold system, including capping ground rents at £250 per year for existing leaseholders. The announcement, made by Keir Starmer, aims to reduce costs for homeowners struggling with the cost of living. The proposed changes, to be published in the draft leasehold and commonhold reform bill, also include banning leaseholds for new flats and giving existing leaseholders the right to switch to commonhold, granting them greater control over their properties. Forfeiture, where leaseholders can lose their homes for debts as low as £350, will be abolished. The Residential Freehold Association has criticized the ground rent cap, citing concerns about its impact on investors.

Keywords

ground rent 100% leasehold reform 90% leaseholders 80% commonhold 70% home ownership 60% housing policy 50% property rights 50% cost of living 40%

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Positive
Score: 0.40

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Source
The Guardian - World News
Political Lean
Center-Left (-0.40)
Far LeftCenterFar Right
Classification Confidence
90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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