Over 3 Million Leaseholders in England Gain New Rights on Service Charges from 2027
The UK government laid five sets of regulations before Parliament on November 12, 2026, giving more than three million leasehold flat owners in England new rights against rip-off service charges in phases. From April 1, 2027, leaseholders will be able to demand service-charge information from their landlord, including on previous years' charges, and landlords will need approval from a court or tribunal before passing their own legal costs on to a leaseholder who challenges excessive charges, while leaseholders will be able to recover their own legal costs.
From November 1, 2027, leaseholders will automatically receive clearer information on insurance and administration charges, and private landlords must use standardised service charge demands, accounts and annual reports; council and housing association landlords follow from November 1, 2028. The reforms are made under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, and the government plans to bring the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill before Parliament before Christmas 2026, including capping existing ground rents at GBP 250 a year.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the new rules put power back in flat owners' hands to question every charge, and Housing Secretary Matthew Pennycook said leaseholders have had enough of opaque bills and soaring charges. A consultation on the service-charge reforms runs until February 12, 2027. (Source: UK Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Source: UK Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于英国伦敦的国际海事组织总部（资料图）。照片：Celsoazevedo，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / IMO headquarters in London, UK (file photo). Photo by Celsoazevedo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
