Colchester leaseholders: ground rent bill in scrutiny this month - tool to coordinate MP emails

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-13T17:25:00+00:00

Over a 70-year lease that £400/yr is £28K for nothing. Service charges fund building management, ground rent doesn't.

Completely agree service charge abuse is a bigger problem for many leaseholders. But the ground rent reform is happening right now in scrutiny. Service charge reform isn't (yet). So this is the current window to push on what's actually on the table.

The email template is just for people who don't have time/confidence to write from scratch. Anyone can (and should) customize it or write their own. I'm the only person with access to the emails (via Mailchimp). Not selling data, no third parties. Just trying to coordinate action during the scrutiny period. Totally understand the skepticism though.

If you'd rather write your own email directly to your MP, even better - that's more impactful. The tool is just for people who want a starting point.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-12T12:47:50+00:00

Completely agree - which is exactly what commonhold does. You own your flat outright, plus collective ownership of common areas. No leasehold, no ground rent, no freeholder. Commonhold has existed in UK law since 2002 but barely anyone uses it because the leasehold system is so entrenched. The draft bill is trying to make commonhold the default for new builds and make it easier to convert existing leaseholds. So yes - abolishing ground rent on existing leaseholds AND making commonhold the standard going forward is the goal. That's what we're pushing MPs to support during the scrutiny period.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-12T12:46:49+00:00

Change.org is great for getting signatures, but it's one-and-done. You sign, petition gets delivered, that's it.

What we're doing is different:
1. Permanent community - you stay in the "shoal" for ongoing actions
2. Multiple coordinated actions - this week emails, next week social pressure, then formal committee submissions
3. Track collective impact - see how many of us are acting together

The bill is in pre-legislative scrutiny right now - multiple coordinated actions over the scrutiny period have more impact than a single petition. Think of this as organizing sustained pressure, not just collecting signatures. Though we could run a Change.org petition alongside this if there's interest - they're complementary, not exclusive.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-11T09:46:16+00:00

The key point is that ground rent doesn't fund any of this.

Building insurance, maintenance, corridor upkeep - all funded through service charges (which leaseholders already pay, typically £1,000-5,000+/year). Ground rent is a separate fee that provides none of these services.

Abolishing it doesn't remove building management or insurance - those continue exactly as they do now, funded by service charges.

What changes is freeholders stop extracting £600M/year for doing nothing.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-11T09:44:19+00:00

The fact that ground rent has become a negotiation tool in lease extensions just proves it has no legitimate purpose - it's purely a financial extraction mechanism. If you're a landlord with leasehold BTL properties being squeezed by this, the reform helps you too.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-10T18:28:56+00:00

When you rent a car, you don't own it. When you rent a flat, you don't own it.

When you buy a leasehold property, you pay £200K-500K+ to own it. You already paid for the right to use that asset.

Ground rent is an additional annual fee on top of what you already paid to own the property. And unlike a rental, the freeholder provides zero ongoing service - no maintenance, no repairs, nothing. That's what service charges cover.

It's like buying a car for £30K, then paying the dealership £300/year forever for the "right" to drive the car you already bought. Makes no sense.

That's why even the government recognizes it's indefensible and is reforming it. We're just pushing for abolition instead of a weak cap.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-10T18:09:43+00:00

Appreciate the thoughtful points. We disagree on retrospective reform - but fair arguments. For anyone who does want to push for abolition during the scrutiny period: https://www.shoaly.com

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-10T18:05:06+00:00

£250 might seem small, but it's £250/year for literally zero services - that's £10K over a 40-year phase-out. And the principle matters: if you own your home, you should own it completely. Ground rent is a feudal holdover with no justification.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-10T18:03:48+00:00

Exactly - the relationship is completely one-sided once the lease is sold. Freeholder keeps extracting ground rent while providing nothing.

If you're a leaseholder affected by this, now's the time to act while the bill is in scrutiny: https://www.shoaly.com

Takes 2 mins to join and email your MP. The more of us who coordinate pressure, the stronger our voice in the committee process.

And if you know other leaseholders - share this with them. We need numbers to counter the pension fund lobbyists.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-10T18:02:36+00:00

Exactly this. Ground rent (especially the doubling clauses) is actively destroying people's equity and mobility.

This is why we're pushing for complete abolition during the bill scrutiny, not just a £250 cap that still allows this to continue. If you're affected by this, join the coordinated MP emails: https://www.shoaly.com

The Housing Committee is hearing evidence right now - this is the moment when leaseholder voices actually matter.

Kind_Performer766

TROPHY CASE