header-logo header-logo

21 November 2025 / Shabnam Ali-Khan
Issue: 8140 / Categories: Opinion , Leasehold , Property
printer mail-detail

LAFRA 2024: leaseholders in limbo

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

Charles Russell Speechlys—James Paterson

Charles Russell Speechlys—James Paterson

Charles Russell Speechlys further bolsters Private Equity expertise with the appointment of James Paterson

Ellisons—Samuel Flower

Ellisons—Samuel Flower

Ellisons strengthens Rural Affairs team with senior appointment

Sidley—Carl Hotton

Sidley—Carl Hotton

Sidley adds insurance mergers and acquisitions partner to London office

NEWS
A deputy costs judge correctly exercised his discretion to allow late service rather than strike out the point of dispute, the Court of Appeal has held
Prince Harry, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and five others have lost their case against the publisher of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, in Various Claimants v Associated Newspapers [2026] EWHC 1637 (KB)
Public confidence in the justice system is being undermined by a lack of accessible, useable data, magistrates have warned
The Sentencing Council has launched draft guidelines for facilitation and endangering another person during a sea crossing to the UK
Government proposals to make independent written legal advice a prerequisite for workplace non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) may prove unworkable, according to a senior employment lawyer
back-to-top-scroll