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New analysis has shown that the average UK house now costs 1.7 times as much as the average flat, the greatest disparity since records began. The findings underline the growing impact that leasehold complexity, service charges, ground rent, and uncertainty around reform are having on buyer confidence, especially in England and Wales where flats are most sold on a leasehold basis.
The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has called for major changes to the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill before it is introduced to Parliament in autumn 2026. Propertymark has long campaigned for meaningful leasehold reform, including action on ground rents, service charges, building safety, consumer information and the regulation of property agents. We welcome the Committee’s recognition that reform must work in practice for homeowners, agents, lenders and managing agents.
It has been nearly ten years since the Leasehold: A Life Sentence report was published, launching a sustained Propertymark campaign. Despite the introduction of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024—of which only 10 of 125 sections have come into force—leaseholders continue to face significant financial pressures, rising and often unjustified service charges, and ongoing building safety concerns.
The UK Government has set out further reforms across housing, communities, and local government. Proposals affect leasehold, building safety, social housing, local authority standards, and tourism levies, all of which could impact local housing markets and influence the way councils, owners, agents and residents interact.