A leasehold group is pressing Prime Minister Andy Burnham to accelerate the implementation of a £250 ground rent cap. The National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) contends that bringing in the cap now would provide immediate financial savings for households currently paying ground rents, helping with the cost of living.
The government has previously indicated its intention to cap ground rents by 2028 at the latest. Katie Kendrick OBE, co-founder of the NLC, stated that while the Prime Minister has acknowledged leasehold as a cost-of-living crisis, the next step is to deliver relief. She highlighted that an immediate £250 ground rent cap could offer more certain and direct annual savings for many households than those currently being promoted through plug-in solar initiatives.
In a letter to Mr Burnham, the NLC described ground rent as an additional burden on leaseholders, who already pay mortgages, service charges, and insurance premiums. The group argues that the government's delay means leaseholders continue to pay millions in ground rents, which ministers have acknowledged have no legitimate consumer purpose. Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook has previously noted that there are "a number of remaining policy choices that we need to work through" before decisions on implementation speed are made.