Leaseholders across England are crying foul as soaring service charges and poor maintenance continue to plague their properties. The latest victim is Sarah*, a school teacher who owns a one-bedroom flat in Moseley, south Birmingham. She was recently forced to take up a second job just to pay the spiraling bills from her management company.
Sarah wasn't prepared for the steep increase in reserve fund contributions, which have risen to almost £14,000 - a significant hike from the original estimate of £4,500 per flat. "I feel like it's the worst decision I've ever made," she said, "it has ruined me financially." Sarah is not alone; leaseholders across England are facing similar issues.
The Labour government initially promised to abolish leasehold within 100 days of taking office, but those plans have been shelved due to the complexity of the task. Leaseholders are now calling for the government to speed up its long-awaited reform, which has passed into law but much of it still remains unimplemented.
Desperate leaseholders are also turning to online forums and social media groups to share their stories and seek support. Shabbir Mohammed, a leaseholder on the site for more than 20 years, described the management company as "trying to milk us for every penny we have". He said that the reserve fund contributions were "ruining people's lives".
In Wanstead, east London, leaseholders at Buxton, Hood and Lister Lodges reported living in limbo with a bill of around £40,000 per household for major works that had yet to start. The freeholder, Newham council, has been accused of neglecting the buildings for decades, leaving leaseholders to pick up the bill.
Meanwhile, Jonathan*, 40, who owns a leasehold flat in Pickering Close, Hackney, has been forced to move out after his ceiling developed large cracks due to water damage from leaks in his flat. He is now paying rent and his mortgage, with just £3,000 billed by FirstPort, one of Britain's biggest property management companies.
"It's now dangerous to live there," Jonathan said, describing the problem as "sanctioned criminality". His story is not an isolated incident; many leaseholders are facing similar issues, with poor maintenance and soaring service charges becoming a norm in these properties.
A spokesperson for Newham council attributed the delays to environmental issues and planning complications. However, leaseholders remain skeptical about the government's commitment to reform. With thousands of people affected, it is clear that something needs to be done - and fast.
Sarah wasn't prepared for the steep increase in reserve fund contributions, which have risen to almost £14,000 - a significant hike from the original estimate of £4,500 per flat. "I feel like it's the worst decision I've ever made," she said, "it has ruined me financially." Sarah is not alone; leaseholders across England are facing similar issues.
The Labour government initially promised to abolish leasehold within 100 days of taking office, but those plans have been shelved due to the complexity of the task. Leaseholders are now calling for the government to speed up its long-awaited reform, which has passed into law but much of it still remains unimplemented.
Desperate leaseholders are also turning to online forums and social media groups to share their stories and seek support. Shabbir Mohammed, a leaseholder on the site for more than 20 years, described the management company as "trying to milk us for every penny we have". He said that the reserve fund contributions were "ruining people's lives".
In Wanstead, east London, leaseholders at Buxton, Hood and Lister Lodges reported living in limbo with a bill of around £40,000 per household for major works that had yet to start. The freeholder, Newham council, has been accused of neglecting the buildings for decades, leaving leaseholders to pick up the bill.
Meanwhile, Jonathan*, 40, who owns a leasehold flat in Pickering Close, Hackney, has been forced to move out after his ceiling developed large cracks due to water damage from leaks in his flat. He is now paying rent and his mortgage, with just £3,000 billed by FirstPort, one of Britain's biggest property management companies.
"It's now dangerous to live there," Jonathan said, describing the problem as "sanctioned criminality". His story is not an isolated incident; many leaseholders are facing similar issues, with poor maintenance and soaring service charges becoming a norm in these properties.
A spokesperson for Newham council attributed the delays to environmental issues and planning complications. However, leaseholders remain skeptical about the government's commitment to reform. With thousands of people affected, it is clear that something needs to be done - and fast.
the way service charges are increasing is just not fair 
I mean, £14k for a one-bedroom flat? That's crazy! 
leaseholders need to know what they're getting themselves into when they buy these places. And it's not like they can just walk away - there are rules in place to make sure people stick with the property 
. It's time for some real change, and I'm not seeing that from our government 
. They promised to abolish leasehold within 100 days, but that didn't happen... what's taking so long? 
leaseholders are at their wit's end, and it's time for someone to listen 
. And honestly, can we really blame them for trying to make some money? The government's just making a mountain out of a molehill by saying they want to abolish leasehold altogether 
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. It's not like there's a lack of warning signs everywhere – all you need to do is read the small print 
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! The lack of transparency and accountability from management companies and freeholders is just appalling. It's like they're just trying to milk the system for as much cash as possible without lifting a finger to maintain the properties 
. I mean, £14k in reserve fund contributions? That's just ridiculous 
. I'm following all these online forums and social media groups to try and help spread awareness and find solutions, but it feels like we're stuck in a never-ending cycle of frustration 
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. The government needs to step up and make some real changes here - we can't keep leaving people in limbo like this 
. The system is broken and it needs to be fixed ASAP 
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i mean, who does that?!?! 
. It's like they're living in a nightmare world where the only ones making money are the property companies. Someone needs to step in and sort this out ASAP 
. It sounds like you're dealing with a nightmare on top of your school teaching job already 
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. The fact that Jonathan is now paying rent, mortgage, and service charges on top of everything else is just heartbreaking 
. We need the government to step up and fix this mess ASAP 
. These leaseholders deserve better! 
. leaseholders deserve better than to be treated like cash cows 
. leasehold thingy is a total nightmare 
It's just not right. And the fact that some management companies are just milking them for every penny is outrageous. I've seen this happen before, and it's like they're more interested in lining their own pockets than taking care of the properties. 