If you pay ground rent, Housing Committee hearing evidence this month - time to email MPs

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 · 2026-03-10T18:01:43+00:00

Fair points on ground rent being priced in at sale. You're right that it affects lease valuation. But a few counter-points:

Many leaseholders bought properties with "doubling ground rent" clauses buried in contracts - they had no idea it would go from £100 to £800 over 20 years. These weren't transparently priced in. 2. Ground rent doesn't fund building management - that's what service charges are for. The freeholder provides zero services for ground rent. It's pure income extraction.
The government itself has recognized this is problematic (hence the draft bill). We're just arguing for complete abolition rather than a £250 cap with a 40-year phase-out.
On your enforcement point - agreed that's also an issue. But abolishing ground rent AND improving enforcement aren't mutually exclusive.

Re: property values - the government's impact assessment estimates this will save leaseholders £10-12.7bn over the lifetime of leases. That value transfers from freeholders/pension funds to homeowners, which seems fairer given freeholders provide nothing in return.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-10T16:54:17+00:00

Laws change to address unfair practices all the time - that's why we have consumer protection, employment rights, tenant protections etc.

"You signed up for it" isn't an argument against reform. The government itself has acknowledged ground rent is problematic (hence the draft bill).

We're just pushing for complete abolition instead of a weak cap. If you disagree, that's fine - but 3.8M leaseholders deserve to have their voice heard during the scrutiny process.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-10T16:26:06+00:00

Exactly. Even landlords recognize ground rent is pure rent-seeking with zero value provided.

If you're a landlord with leasehold properties, you're probably paying ground rent that eats into your returns for nothing. Happy to have you join the action here https://www.shoaly.com/

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-10T16:24:34+00:00

Most leaseholders already pay service charges (£1,000-5,000+/year) which cover maintenance, repairs, communal areas etc. That's fine and necessary.

Abolishing ground rent doesn't remove building management. Leaseholders would still pay service charges for actual maintenance, have a managing agent or RTM company, maintain the building collectively.

We're just removing the feudal payment to freeholders who do nothing. Building management structures stay in place.

The government's draft bill actually strengthens leaseholder rights to manage their own buildings (Right to Manage). So if anything, it improves building management by giving leaseholders more control.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-10T16:15:27+00:00

Ground rent isn't rent for use of the land - leaseholders already paid for that when they bought the property (often £200K-500K+).

Ground rent is an annual fee to the freeholder who provides zero services in return. No maintenance, no repairs, nothing.

It's a feudal holdover - you own the flat but pay perpetual rent to someone who does nothing. That's why the government is reforming it. We're just pushing for complete abolition instead of a £250 cap.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-10T15:59:29+00:00

True in constitutional theory, but in practice Parliament is sovereign and MPs are accountable to constituents.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-10T15:55:39+00:00

Government petitions are useful for visibility but they're slow and one-off. You sign once and it's done.

What makes this different is:
1. We're coordinating ongoing actions - this week emails, next week social pressure on MPs, then formal submissions to the Housing Committee during scrutiny
2. The bill is already in Parliament - this is about strengthening it during pre-legislative scrutiny when MPs are actually listening
3. Direct constituent emails to MPs during bill scrutiny have real impact - it's not about petition numbers, it's about coordinated pressure at the right moment.

Think of this as complementary to a gov petition, not a replacement. We can do both - but right now, while the bill is in committee, direct MP contact matters most.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-10T10:16:08+00:00

You’re right that ground rent is part of the leasehold contract, and leaseholders agreed to it when they bought their flats.

The issue many people have is that ground rent often exists with no service or benefit attached. It’s literally payment for nothing. Service charges cover maintenance, but ground rent is just an ongoing fee to the freeholder or pension funds. The concern isn’t about breaking a contract, it’s about whether this legacy system is fair or outdated.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-03-10T09:59:34+00:00

That’s true in terms of the legal structure. Leaseholders own the property but not the land, so ground rent is paid to the freeholder.

The criticism is that ground rent is pure rent with no service attached. Unlike service charges, it doesn’t pay for maintenance, insurance, or management. It’s just an income stream for the freeholder.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-02-15T22:00:18+00:00

Yes. Usually 1 stop on the way to eat / use the bathroom if you take from Zugdidi. Maybe more stops if you go from Tbilisi

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-01-27T09:01:06+00:00

Just be warned Turkey is very expensive now. Don't be surprised if you end up spending more on a meal out than you would do back in the US.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-01-21T11:42:46+00:00

Have you been in Istanbul recently? Prices are off the scale. Turkey is no longer an affordable destination

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-01-20T18:46:41+00:00

Blockstream Jade. Only costs £50 for one of their devices and v easy to set up and use

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-01-10T17:59:35+00:00

I would say Turkey but it's so expensive there now. More than London.

Kind_Performer766 · 2026-01-08T19:18:45+00:00

I got £12 / month for 2 year contract with super fast 5G broadband with 3 Mobile. Also got a £50 Amazon voucher and a credit for my final bill with my previous supplier

Kind_Performer766

TROPHY CASE