Harry Scoffin
@HarryScoffin
Followers
6,841
Following
6,457
Media
735
Statuses
255,421
Housing campaigner and journo. Founder of @FreeLeasehlders . Sometimes tweet on 🇸🇬 and SEA politics. Leaseholder with a story? harry @freeleaseholders .org.uk
London, England
Joined October 2008
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
#करवाचौथ_है_पाखंड_पूजा
• 233573 Tweets
God Kabir Increases Age
• 164745 Tweets
Chelsea
• 132500 Tweets
#ブルアカらいぶおーたむSP
• 130016 Tweets
ANILPIN LOVE DEPRIVATION
• 122378 Tweets
Liverpool
• 120208 Tweets
#ปิ่นภักดิ์EP12
• 117376 Tweets
BUILD TEAM FJR
• 63172 Tweets
#海に眠るダイヤモンド
• 57299 Tweets
nayeon
• 54481 Tweets
ピーコさん
• 51618 Tweets
Perfume
• 47553 Tweets
Wolves
• 37246 Tweets
#NHKスペシャル
• 35026 Tweets
おすぎとピーコ
• 31471 Tweets
サクラコ
• 27386 Tweets
日曜劇場
• 18926 Tweets
Gvardiol
• 15908 Tweets
アイドルマリー
• 13163 Tweets
Semih
• 11379 Tweets
Pinned Tweet
Under the Tories, these drip, drip, drip stories became very damaging to public perception of their values and governing competence:
Con-Lab switchers already scratching their heads as to why LAFRA has not been activated despite King’s Speech promise.
🥊LABOUR, DON’T YOU DARE!🥊
In the July King’s Speech, you promised to “act quickly” to switch on LAFRA 2024. You’ve done nothing.
You promised a draft Commonhold Bill this year, to end leasehold and fleecehold for good. You’ve produced nothing. (1/5)
27
100
228
2
13
27
I was in a coffee shop and in came
@trussliz
. I thought to myself what what would
@KwajoHousing
do? I went up, introduced myself, said I’m gravely concerned by the housing crisis, especially leasehold. My Mum’s service charges have gone up £10k in 5 years in a no-frills block!
312
169
1K
All the major parties have failed to rid England and Wales of leasehold. But
@michaelgove
is correct. In the 1990s, Labour promised compulsory commonhold on new-build flats and to delete marriage value. But when they got into power, they caved. Read here:
132
177
621
Wow. Massive props to
@Keir_Starmer
. He’s clarified
@UKLabour
’s position on leasehold. He has never talked about this publicly before, but wants the
@Law_Commission
2020 reform package that looks to be watered down in the King’s Speech. Big opportunities await for
@UKLabour
here.
60
165
421
🚨 ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨 Fired up by the abject failure of the Queen’s Speech last year to introduce a Bill to liberate the estimated 10 million existing leaseholders, today we launch
@CommonholdNow
to force an end to leasehold (and fleecehold) in the King’s Speech this November. (1/5)
44
217
406
Leaseholders need to get angry and take control. We’ve had promises of reform for half a decade. We participated in endless govt consultations in good faith. The policies were dropped last year after ferocious lobbying and aren’t in the bag for the King’s Speech in November.
23
125
303
Memorable day meeting
@michaelgove
. Housing is a basic human need. Foundation of other needs. Don’t get it right and we have social and economic decline. I said leaseholders and fleecehold householders just want dignity, autonomy and control in our own homes. He strongly agrees.
47
66
298
.
@joedouglas90
’s Dad pays £200 to insure a four-bed house. Joe pays £1,600 a year to insure a one-bed flat. Should he and his neighbours shop around for a better deal? They can’t. They’re leaseholders!
@jburnmurdoch
@iankmsmith
@KateBeioley_FT
@miss_marriage
@abby_wallace3
26
165
276
“On this site alone in Liverpool, they’re building 185 apartments and 10 townhouses.”
Ah, I think we’ve found our answer. The majority of the 1.5 million new homes WILL be leasehold debt trap flats.
We are getting Britain building again to make every part of our country better off.
2K
186
1K
38
58
272
If
@dannybster
’s car was faulty, or if he’d bought a kettle that didn’t work, the manufacturer would replace it or give him a refund. But for the biggest purchase of our lives – a home – we in England have no such protection. Leasehold and new-builds are destroying lives.
25
150
229
Mum took one for the team and appeared on
@BBCNews
yesterday. Her offshore billionaire freeholder dictates she pay an obscene £33,000 service charge.
At Commons Report Stage imminently, government will defend keeping medieval forfeiture, which is key to service charge abuse.
22
107
221
Last week a big one for
@CommonholdNow
.
I had a meeting with
@michaelgove
where I expressed our concerns that government is losing its nerve on leasehold.
I was reassured that he understands all the issues and is following our campaign closely. Leaseholders, let’s not give up!
49
55
221
‘I’m a cash cow for a billionaire’ says leaseholder paying £33,000 a year in service charges
Those words are my Mum’s.
Leasehold is a form of legalised extortion.
The government can go further on the reforms announced yesterday. Free leaseholders.
26
95
221
Thank you
@AngelaRayner
for speaking up.
Feudalism is alive and kicking in 21st century England and Wales.
@RishiSunak
wants to keep millions of citizens as serfs to rent-seekers, middlemen and extortionists. Enough!
This latest dithering from the Government on leasehold reform in the face of Tory infighting is yet another sign that Rishi Sunak is too weak to deliver for working people.
Over to you
@michaelgove
362
749
3K
5
91
209
Reassuring to see
@michaelgove
renew his commitment to bringing forward legislation in the King’s Speech to liberate leaseholders being extorted in our homes by absentee freeholders. He’s right. We must End Leasehold, an essentially feudal & coercive land tenure. Commonhold Now!
21
71
206
When I formed
@FreeLeasehlders
last year, a number of people in Westminster thought I was crackers and warned me off it. Leasehold will never be a salient political issue, they told me.
This is a pivotal moment. We are taking back control of our homes, money and lives.
AN HISTORY FIRST - BRITISH PM CONFIRMS END OF FEUDAL LEASEHOLD
Wow.
@Keir_Starmer
at PMQs confirms his Labour govt WILL abolish leasehold. Thanks
@LukeMLabour
.
Leaseholders need speedy activation of LAFRA and publication of the promised draft Bill. 2025/26 is too long to wait!
19
74
205
21
61
207
In March, I was told by well-placed sources that a Leasehold Reform Bill wasn’t locked in for the King’s Speech. But, together, we made it happen. We politicised leasehold and woke up Westminster. Proof will be in the pudding. More campaign news coming up.
🚨 ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨 Fired up by the abject failure of the Queen’s Speech last year to introduce a Bill to liberate the estimated 10 million existing leaseholders, today we launch
@CommonholdNow
to force an end to leasehold (and fleecehold) in the King’s Speech this November. (1/5)
44
217
406
28
69
199
Quite sad, the state of journalism in this country sometimes.
Journalists should hold power to account, not act as megaphones for power.
This piece has no balancing opinion nor contains quotes from a single insurer or pension fund to evidence a sector lobby line.
Exclusive: Pension funds believe Michael Gove’s proposed reforms of Britain’s “feudal” leasehold system will cost them in the region of £30bn if he proceeds next week with a £250 cap on ground rents and 20-year transition to peppercorn rates.
108
27
94
6
76
201
Phenomenal intervention from
@michaelgove
in the Sunday Times today. The Conservatives could actually win the next general election if they follow through on leasehold abolishment and free 10 million households who live under this iniquitous system, a relic of serfdom.
32
67
204
📢 Personal news: After 4 wonderful years at
@LKPleasehold
with
@sebastianokelly
and
@martinboydlkp
, giving voice to ripped-off leaseholders like my Mum, I have exited the leaseholders' charity and wish it all the best as we gear up towards the phase two reforms. Onwards!
52
30
190
.
@RobertJenrick
@team_greenhalgh
@DameJudithH
are responsible for a lot of this mess. 4 years of random advice notes and hysterical messaging on risk without any reliable data. They still refuse to do an audit of high-rises like in Oz.
@LKPleasehold
@EOCS_Official
@ukcag
10
114
186
Ecstatic
@michaelgove
has made the connection between supply and tenure. There’s no point of a glut of flats coming onto the market if buyer confidence isn’t there. We have to end the outdated and extractive leasehold tenure.
@CommonholdNow
for successful flat and city living!
22
78
177
The legalised robbery of leasehold demolished on
@BBCTheOneShow
tonight.
Leaseholders will be betrayed if the rumoured King’s Speech Bill fobs us off with ‘protections’ and more rights to litigate. We need the ability to switch providers and gain control of our service charges.
28
94
182
A big moment yesterday for the leasehold liberation movement. Let’s take a breath, stand back and consider the situation. We’re seeing a bipartisan consensus emerge on the need to abolish the fundamentally unfair and archaic leasehold tenure before the GE. (1/11)
13
71
175
For the doubters out there,
@AngelaRayner
has used her address to party faithful just now to confirm that
@UKLabour
will end the leasehold system, which she links to the Middle Ages.
This agenda fits so nicely with the rest of their retail offer on rental and planning reform
47
73
173
📢LISTEN UP! ANNOUNCEMENT📢
Commonhold may have been dropped by this government.
But that doesn’t mean leaseholders shouldn’t get rightful control of their homes, money and lives.
Today, we launch
@FreeLeasehlders
. We won’t stop until every single one of you is truly free.
15
86
167
Grateful to Vanessa Feltz on
@TalkTV
for taking an interest in the leasehold scandal, which is ruining millions of people’s lives and sucking a lot of money out of the real economy. The government’s reforms, as laid out in The Sunday Times, are just not ambitious enough on flats.
8
52
166
We are really happy with the response to this video, which dropped on Friday.
Nearly 100,000 views and it has cut through in Westminster and Whitehall.
The freeholder industry may have all the cash to splash on fancy lobbying and PR firms, but we are truth-telling in style.
🐷EXPOSING THE GROUND RENT GRAZERS🐷
This one’s for
@BimAfolami
,
@RishiSunak
,
@michaelgove
,
@Lee4NED
and
@mtpennycook
.
In a general election year, it is crucial to debunk the sector spin of the ‘ruined granny’ and show who is really behind the protection racket of ground rent.
27
144
268
13
80
169
We’re overpowering the freeloader lobby! Leasehold has skyrocketed up the political agenda in the last 2 weeks. 20 days per session allocated to Opposition days. Puts us alongside pollution of rivers, free school meals and cost of living.
@CommonholdNow
6
76
157
🥊RAYNER BOXES FOR LEASEHOLDERS🥊
Leasehold is the last bastion of a class society and has concentrated wealth in the hands of the few rather than the many.
@AngelaRayner
launches an excoriating attack on the government’s watered down King’s Speech leasehold reform package.
15
69
159
Happy Mother’s Day! I’ve been fighting against the leasehold housing scam for all these years because of my Mum who is caught up in it.
Her strong sense of right and wrong is imbued in me. Support the work I’m doing to end leasehold. Please donate.
12
46
161
Orwell would be ashamed that leasehold, a relic of serfdom, still exists in 21st century England and Wales, causing the wholesale pauperisation of the people. A relief we have
@lisanandy
on record here pledging to “phase out” leasehold for existing homes in 1st term of a 🌹 govt.
22
63
160
RIP
@BSBcampaigner
.
It is abhorrent that we live in a country that has created this and won’t sort it.
15
75
163
.
@KemiBadenoch
, you have shocked so many leaseholders.
Your leadership campaign was about truth-telling and you backed leasehold reform. We have the video.
Please come clean.
What convos have you had with sector lobbyists?
11
59
162
Important. We are heading for an odds and sods leasehold reform bill. Of course, our politicians have been trying to 'reform' leasehold since at least the 1880s. More sticking plasters won't do it! We need
@CommonholdNow
for dignity, autonomy and control.
16
92
158
Tomorrow is a BIG day for leaseholders.
The unelected House of Lords show their cards.
The Lords have historically neutered leasehold reform.
This time, voters will be unforgiving to any Party that allows unelected Lords to thwart meaningful change.
Millions want this.
11
62
158
Great to speak with
@Roolockwood
on the leasehold scandal and sky-high service charges. Broadcasters generally shun this topic so a big thank you to her for the coverage and for caring. It’s telling that the
@RFAssociation
couldn’t field anyone to debate us. Not even an intern!
10
61
156
“Documents seen by The Telegraph show flat owners are paying £45,000 a year for a graffiti team, £107,100 for ‘extra lifts’ and £210,000 for the council’s vehicle fleet.”
Even councils appear unable to refrain from gaming leaseholders’ service charges!
21
91
149
@MarkKleinmanSky
No comment from actual insurers and pension funds?
@ThePLSA
not giving data on the extent to which their members would suffer. The idea of ruined granny and pension fund is just a smokescreen for the freeholder lobby.
1
36
153
YO!
The freeholder lobby made a MASSIVE strategic blunder by invoking grannies to defend their vile business model.
Today, I am thrilled to say a
@FreeLeasehlders
spin-off campaign,
#PensionersAgainstLeasehold
, has launched.
The elderly do decide elections …
According to an
@OpiniumResearch
poll this month:
💥62% of people aged 65+ want leasehold scrapped
💥65% want all ground rents gone
👴In response, we launch a new campaign group,
#PensionersAgainstLeasehold
👵
To “PAL” up, contact pensioners
@freeleaseholders
.org.uk today.
9
65
109
6
83
156
🚨KILLING LEASEHOLD🚨
It felt like a seminal moment last night with Jeremy Kyle coming out for
@CommonholdNow
after interviewing my Mum and yours truly.
We are reaching new audiences and waking people up to the biggest organised scam in the UK. Watch it back now:
22
66
149
Govt goes live with consultation on ground rents for existing leaseholders. Reducing ground rents or, even better, scrapping them completely would do wonders to bring down the cost of freehold purchase. Ground rent is the ultimate money for nothing scheme.
21
69
142
WOW! LibDem London mayoral candidate
@robblackie
becomes first in the race to prioritise leaseholders’ needs over those of rent-seekers and the failed status quo.
He notes
@SadiqKhan
@MayorofLondon
promised commonhold pilot scheme on GLA land in manifesto but broke his pledge.
Rogue landlords and freeholders are squeezing leaseholders for every penny with unfair service charges.
As Mayor I would set up a support hub to challenge unfair service charges...
16
89
150
7
82
143
😱Halloween Pensions Panic or Not?😱
The freeholder lobby is putting pressure on ministers and officials to shelve or water down a Bill against leasehold in the King’s Speech on November 7th. They claim pension funds will be wiped out!
Commonhold Now brings you the truth 👇🏻
22
100
139
❌No commonhold
❌Not even a promise to mandate share of freehold on future flats for basic resident control
❓A radical proposal to abolish ground rents but not clear will be in this legislation - yet another consultation!
The fight is NOT over 💪🏻
24
68
137
I’m pumped for
@BarryGardiner
’s leasehold documentary dropping tomorrow. Earlier this week, he was on
@LBC
with
@IainDale
explaining that through positively feudal leasehold, flat owners in this country have no control over their homes, money and lives.
10
83
144
Ground rent is inherently illegitimate and has no place in a modern economy or housing market.
It has to go.
Please respond to the government consultation and urge that they turn existing ground rents into a ‘peppercorn’, which is zero financial value.
13
72
139
Superb editorial from The Observer.
They understand leasehold is the ultimate form of rentier capitalism, allowing developers and landowners to extract almost unlimited amounts of cash from homeowners.
Any government serious about the housing crisis must dismantle leasehold.
The Observer view on leasehold: let’s abolish this antiquated and unfair system
3
75
178
5
63
139
.
@michaelgove
uses
@ukonward
Future of Conservatism event to decry leasehold, saying homebuyers are being “bilked” as a result of “private equity gangsters” who own the freeholds.
“We need to liberate them [leaseholders] from that.”
The Bill must be as radical as the words!
23
54
137
Wowsa.
@LibDems
have made abolishing leasehold party policy.
@EdwardJDavey
’s finger prints all over this. As co-founder of the all-party group, leasehold is an issue close to his heart.
It’s smart politics, too. 63% of Blue Wall voters back leasehold replaced with commonhold.
🚨
@LibDems
COMMIT TO LEASEHOLD ABOLITION, OUTFLANKING
@Conservatives
AND
@UKLabour
TO WOO THE 5 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS🚨
Just now, Liberal Democrats voted at their conference to commit the party to leasehold abolition as they continue to love-bomb critical Blue Wall voters. (1/8)
15
80
153
8
66
133
Tremendously honoured to have been recognised in this way. The
@TenaciousAwards
support will provide much needed rocket fuel to
@FreeLeasehlders
. This is a massive vote of confidence in our work over the last 18 months. Such a vital initiative for genuine grassroots campaigners.
🏆 – Congratulations to the ten inspiring campaigners who have been awarded
@TenaciousAwards
for this year!
We can't wait to work with the winners to support them to deliver social change and achieve their campaign goals.
Find out more about them here ▶️
10
34
51
23
46
139
🌹 𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗡 𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗢𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗢 𝗩𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗦 🌹
A seismic day for the leaseholder liberation movement.
@UKLabour
committed to banishing leasehold serfdom to the history books!
🌹 𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗙𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗜𝗧𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗗🌹
“Labour will act where the Conservatives failed and finally bring the feudal leasehold system to an end.”
@UKLabour
pledging the change leaseholders need.
17
56
124
21
54
138
@agw1437
@trussliz
@KwajoHousing
You go into politics to help people and change lives. There was a lot of warmth from Ms Truss. I apologised for intruding and said I will be quick and didn’t want to sabotage her evening out with her daughter. She took it very well and was interested to hear what I had to say.
32
3
131
@Liv_Lever
@trussliz
@KwajoHousing
Sorry, we live in a democracy. She was good natured and was humouring people with selfies later around Pret and Waitrose.
16
3
126
Why I keep fighting to ensure that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill hands rightful control to leaseholders. We need self-rule. It is our homes, our money and our lives, after all. Rip-off service providers must be easily sackable.
#FreeLeaseholders
7
65
131
Leaseholders are throwing off their feudal chains. Collective action works. The scale of overcharging, fraud and power abuse in this scandal will make Wirecard look like an innocent misdemeanour. Keep it up
@iankmsmith
@KateBeioley_FT
@miss_marriage
@FT
!
3
66
135
On Friday, I spoke to
@BBCWorldatOne
about the govt u-turn on leasehold abolition. I make no apologies for not wanting scraps. My Mum's service charge has skyrocketed £10,000 in 5yrs. Our freeloading freeholder is offshore and one of Britain's richest men. We need
@CommonholdNow
!
8
65
127
Most campaigners don’t do this for fame or money. We’re driven by what’s happening at home! Seeing my Mum as a financial hostage has radicalised me, changed my outlook on life and seen me spend half a decade fighting to free her and millions of others.
13
76
131
There's a price to be paid at the ballot box for elected officials' fealty to property insiders. Young people don't want to go from rental tenancies to leasehold ones. Feudal leasehold prevents people from living honestly and autonomously. Me for
@ConHome
16
62
126
🗳️
@RishiSunak
@MichaelGove
, this specially commissioned political ad is one YOU need to watch 🗳️
@FreeLeasehlders
brings you the voters this Government has to hold onto, to have any chance in the GE – Blue Wall Tories. (1/2)
#FreeLeaseholders
12
98
128
There we were in the pissing rain with the toffs and their top hats last Tuesday at the Palace.
Shockingly, the GE was called and everything we’ve all worked so hard for was going to be trashed.
But the Bill made the wash-up.
The old boys networks haven’t seen anything yet!
7
27
131
Reassuring
@michaelgove
used his first major speech since being reappointed housing secretary to note the scandal in newbuild homes that is finally coming to light. Here’s hoping he and his team have read this horror story, which is by no means a one-off:
20
50
128
You have zero control of running costs. Those service charges are set by a third-party investor who will trash your capital value when he hikes them with his managing agent. That freeholder makes decisions to benefit his economic interest, not yours. Leasehold is a scam.
@HarryScoffin
What's wrong with leasehold ? I have a leasehold with over 130yrs to go. Ie... well after my lifetime. The servuce charge is 1700 quid a year and there's no cladding issues ....the alternative is to rent paying the btl landlord a grand a month
9
1
4
14
41
130
Lots of people invest in BTL, some retired, for their pension income but they don’t call themselves pensioners, they’re called landlords. It’s disingenuous for freeholders to call themselves pensioners when they’re not old ladies going to the post office to collect their pennies.
'There are some very powerful people who have managed to pump this fake news into No 10.'
@HarryScoffin
tells
@TomSwarbrick1
that the government referring to 'buy to let landlords who happen to be elderly' as 'pensioners' is 'very wilful distortion'.
25
94
196
4
52
130
Super positive
@UKLabour
and Mr Pennycook are moving to mandate all new flats come with RMCs and, crucially, the freehold. This ends the grubby trade in other people’s homes going forward while clearing the path for 2nd generation commonhold to really take off.
#FreeLeaseholders
There is only so much we can do with the government's limited Leasehold Reform Bill but amendments Labour are pushing include:
✅enhanced leaseholder rights and protections
✅abolition of forfeiture
✅mandatory RMCs + share of freehold in flats
✅regulation of managing agents
65
140
294
14
42
129
“We must live up to our 1995 promise. It is our duty to abolish leasehold and finally put An End to Feudalism.”
Superb advocacy by
@BarryGardiner
in
@LabourList
.
The
@UKLabour
manifesto must promise to dismantle leasehold and a mass shift to commonhold.
9
55
125
Great to speak today to compliance pros, insurers and officials from
@TheFCA
on leasehold buildings insurance and the bribes and kickbacks now endemic in this sector. Leaseholders are captive consumers who are forced to fund freeloading freeholders. This must end.
@CommonholdNow
11
53
123
Psyched to read this.
@michaelgove
knows reforming leasehold out of existence is what any serious govt has to do if it wants to deal with intergenerational inequality. My generation will rise up if the housing crisis remains!
@jburnmurdoch
@PricedOutUK
12
47
125
@rcolvile
@michaelgove
@CapX
But the property developers have ample money to cough up. They profited from these death-trap flats. Better than burdening the taxpayer even more.
6
17
120
A privilege to attend
@Kwajotweneboa
’s book launch yesterday. Without him, many people up and down the land would not be fighting for their housing rights. What is less known is that without Kwajo,
@FreeLeasehlders
would not be a thing. I saw his videos and knew I had to act!
13
35
126
GET IN!!
Finally, someone gets it.
Real leasehold reform means dignity, autonomy and control. Homeownership.
It is NOT about technicalities. It’s about people’s lives and finances.
@RishiSunak
can still do the right thing and
@FreeLeasehlders
.
LEASEHOLD REFORM CAMPAIGN UPDATE:
A message to
@RishiSunak
- strengthen the Bill so that every one of us can have control of our home, our money and our lives 💪🏾
Homeownership should mean freedom: it’s a British thing!! 🇬🇧
108
144
418
5
49
124
@pollymackenzie
The building safety crisis, where innocent consumer homebuyers are on the brink of bankruptcy because they bought dangerous leasehold flats in good faith and the so-called party of home ownership doesn’t want to upset developer donors by making them pay.
0
27
123
The devil will be in the detail, as always. On face value, an immediate £250 cap for all existing ground rents is a win for leaseholders. 20 years is not great — but it’s a compromise. We need to see the way the amendments are worded. There must be a clear end date.
Exclusive: In face of intensive lobbying by pension/insurance funds, Gove has won partial victory on leasehold reform
PM has now overruled HMT. £250 cap on ground rents will be announced, with a 20 year* transition period to peppercorn
1/4
24
74
265
27
36
124
The campaign breaks into broadcast. Tune in to
@TalkTV
’s Jeremy Kyle Live tonight at 7-8pm to hear from my Mum and yours truly about the effect leasehold is having on us. Jeremy was lovely and gets it. Hopefully other channels will follow with coverage. We need
@CommonholdNow
.
21
53
121
A £250 cap on ground rents is a win.
It means leaseholders can sell up and get on with their lives.
20 years to peppercorn is not ideal, but if
@UKLabour
@AngelaRayner
@mtpennycook
wish to make a counter-offer, leaseholders and journos will be all ears.
19
39
122
Leasehold has just gone box office with
@Kwajotweneboa
coming out for 5.3 million households trapped in this rip-off system.
So many Leaseholders and being shafted. We live in a time where Freeholders say jump and at the mercy of them, Leaseholders are expected to respond ‘how high’.
Freeholders use forfeiture as a weapon similarly to how section 21 is used in the private sector, and think it’s
14
98
302
4
54
122
@Fox_Claire
@trussliz
@KwajoHousing
I said now she can speak more freely on the backbenches, would she join the leasehold rebellion and lobby for the phase two reforms to help fix our broken housing market? She laughed. (She has a rural constituency in Norfolk with little to no leasehold.)
8
8
118
This had to happen. The everyday fraud in leasehold is indefensible. But leaseholders need to place the policy and control our service charges. For as long as we are captive consumers, the other side will innovate into new scams. It’s like Whac-A-Mole.
8
44
116
@AngelaRayner
@michaelgove
Thank you
@AngelaRayner
for speaking up.
Feudalism is alive and kicking in 21st century England and Wales.
@RishiSunak
wants to keep millions of citizens as serfs to rent-seekers, middlemen and extortionists. Enough!
8
28
117
We want homeownership to leave landlords behind. We want it for dignity, autonomy and control. But leasehold robs us of that. A fab speech from
@Fox_Claire
last night. Angie Jezard of
@CanaryRiverside
rightly deserves special mention for lifting the lid on the insurance racket.
9
55
117
This is why forfeiture must be abolished.
It permits everyday extortion of leaseholders.
Despite ministers saying we will get positive news on this soon, nothing came forward at Lords Committee stage.
Time really is running out. What’s happening
@michaelgove
@Lee4NED
?
🚨leaseholders🚨
I’m honestly too furious to write coherent tweets on this right now but you can read for yourself.
Their response:
£5729.77 to be paid within 10 days or I’m taken to court & my flat is forfeited.
No direct reply to my email querying the service charge.
36
117
185
6
60
121
Disturbing that while retirement housebuilders were rightly forced by law to stop inserting ground rents into new homes, they are now being given the green light to prey on the elderly by flogging them new leasehold houses despite a leasehold houses ban.
13
72
117
📢SEISMIC DAY FOR THE LEASEHOLDER LIBERATION MOVEMENT📢
The freeholder scam industry won’t know what has just hit it!
Not only are we getting quick unlocking of LAFRA, as opposed to the last government’s 2 more years of limbo, but fresh legislation to end leasehold for good 👍
💥DRAFT LEASEHOLD AND COMMONHOLD REFORM BILL IN KING’S SPEECH💥
An end of history moment for residential leasehold tenure in the King’s Speech today.
New
@UKLabour
government commits to:
1) Speedy implementation of LAFRA, ending speculation from the sector and giving greater
17
57
139
13
35
120
“Margaret Thatcher used her final days in office to propose a draft bill which would have replaced leasehold with commonhold, and both John Major and Tony Blair initially made similar pledges.” Will
@RishiSunak
@michaelgove
finish the job? Let’s do this!
7
52
113
“With issues such as hefty service charges, soaring ground rents and cladding costs blamed for preventing homeowners from remortgaging and selling, leasehold has been placed firmly on the political agenda.” We need real homeownership with
@CommonholdNow
!
5
51
115
For those who still don’t believe, the extractive leasehold system IS trashing capital values and, as a result, barring an estimated 400,000 homes from being put up for sale. This has huge repercussions for labour mobility, people starting a family, and retired downsizers.
Depressing data. Toxic leasehold tenure is a housing crisis in itself. This from
@Hamptons1869
reinforces why we need speedy activation of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 and the bringing forward of the Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill, as per the King’s Speech.
0
28
58
11
49
120
@CharlotteCGill
Yes, and the ruling party has literally nothing to say to them. Other than shared ownership and leasehold scams.
1
1
107
.
@AngelaRayner
tonight confirms a Bill against leasehold tenure within first King’s Speech of a
@UKLabour
govt. This is unfinished business for the party which introduced Commonhold, the fairer pro-homeowner system, after years of Tory dither and delay.
13
58
116
Important story by
@BBCNews
@beckyrmorton
.
It’s vital to note leasehold forfeiture is NOT like repossession. If you’re a leaseholder, you have no right to a balancing payment.
You don't get the equity back less the debt. The freeholder makes a windfall.
8
73
115
@AngelaRayner
Will the homes be leasehold ones? If so, you are just putting more people into a system of financial servitude and only exacerbating the housing crisis.
9
19
110
If govt won’t end leasehold on existing homes, paying leaseholders must have control with a Universal Right to Manage. End goal of
@CommonholdNow
remains commonhold for real homeownership on existing and future flats. But control better than no control.
12
59
111
From today, I’m going to be touring the country speaking to real people + capturing their shocking stories. If you’re a flat leaseholder/shared owner or householder on a private managed estate (‘fleecehold’), I want to hear from you. Get in touch👇 (5/5)
10
66
113
#CommonholdNow
Goes Live With Policy Report, Misaligned Incentives, to Liberate Flat Leaseholders
@RishiSunak
told me over 5 yrs ago in a Bethnal Green living room that “leasehold is a scam”. But The Sunday Times report suggests flat leaseholders will keep being scammed! (1/9)
6
65
111
Mobilising enough leaseholders to hit the 50% participation threshold to buy your freehold or secure Right to Manage.
#FreeLeaseholders
12
18
111
.
@BarryGardiner
has our backs
He is 100% right. Rentierism is fuelling inequality. These crooks use the language of buccaneering capitalism to defend vulture-like practices.
Ending leasehold is for the many, not the few.
And it is pro-homeownership, too!
"This government has failed on housing so comprehensively that it's difficult to know where to start."
Labour's Barry Gardiner slams Tories' Michael Gove for backing investors and failing homeowners on leasehold.
19
97
201
5
54
114
Just saved a young Hongkonger from “buying” a shared ownership / leasehold flat. She says there’s an immense rush to get a property in London among BNO passport holders making a new life here. She had no idea service charges are variable and aren’t controlled by the flat owners.
13
27
112
“Leaseholders do not want to know by how much they are being ripped off, they just don’t want to be ripped off in the first place.”
12
58
107
.
@michaelgove
throws shade at
@RobertJenrick
: "Some people have said to me, 'oh you know it's a case of caveat emptor', and I think that's rubbish. People bought these flats in good faith, now they're suddenly being landed with bills that are grossly disproportionate."
8
36
112
Mary! You don’t know what you are talking about. Scotland and the rest of the world all use commonhold-style systems. England and Wales are international outliers for persisting with landlord-controlled leasehold tenure to organise private flat ownership.
#PMQs
@AngelaRayner
clearly has no understanding of
#leasehold
. Of course, new houses should not be sold leasehold, but flats have to have a way of sharing common costs. No lawyer would advise buying freehold flat. Ppl need to understand this.
3
0
3
6
33
110
Powerful speech from
@jeremycorbyn
. He understands that leaseholders must be given control over their homes, charges and lives. It is a shame free marketeer Tories are not coming out against toxic monopolies and abusive cartel behaviour in leasehold. Capitalism this is not.
11
54
106