header-logo header-logo

LAFRA 2024: leaseholders in limbo

21 November 2025 / Shabnam Ali-Khan
Issue: 8140 / Categories: Opinion , Leasehold , Property
printer mail-detail
236044
The government must now consult with professionals on leasehold reform, writes Shabnam Ali-Khan

Renters rights may be grabbing the headlines this month, but leasehold reform is rarely off the news agenda, and rightly so: the system has been criticised for opacity, unfairness and cost. Yet after the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (LAFRA 2024)—hurried through in the last Parliament—and with a new Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill on the horizon, the sector finds itself in limbo.

Leaseholders were promised clarity, simplicity and savings. More than a year later, too little of the Act has been implemented, secondary legislation has been delayed, and crucial test cases are stalled in the courts. Meanwhile, professionals are advising clients through these uncertain times, leaseholders are unsure whether to act now or wait, and the market has been affected. In the unanimous view of professionals, further reform must not be made without genuine consultation and collaboration with those who deal with leasehold every day.

A year of uncertainty

LAFRA 2024 was billed as

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Kate Gaskell, Flex Legal

NLJ Career Profile: Kate Gaskell, Flex Legal

Kate Gaskell, CEO of Flex Legal, reflects on chasing her childhood dreams underscores the importance of welcoming those from all backgrounds into the profession

Dorsey & Whitney—Jonathan Christy

Dorsey & Whitney—Jonathan Christy

Dispute resolution team welcomes associate in London

Winckworth Sherwood—Kevin McManamon

Winckworth Sherwood—Kevin McManamon

Special education needs and mental capacity expert joins as partner

NEWS
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
In NLJ this week, Ian Smith, emeritus professor at UEA, explores major developments in employment law from the Supreme Court and appellate courts
Writing in NLJ this week, Kamran Rehman and Harriet Campbell of Penningtons Manches Cooper examine Operafund Eco-Invest SICAV plc v Spain, where the Commercial Court held that ICSID and Energy Charter Treaty awards cannot be assigned
back-to-top-scroll