Strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services: consultation

On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services, as part of the implementation of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. The consultation is seeking views on proposals to implement aspects of Part 4 of the Act, as well as what future reform might look like.

We’re encouraging our members to tell us their views, as well as submit their own responses to the consultation. Below, you will find a briefing on the consultation as well as more details on how to submit your views.

What does this consultation mean for housing associations? 

The consultation asks significant questions on the implementation of the Leasehold and Freehold Act, particularly around sharing information with leaseholders and tenants. The proposals have implications for all housing associations who manage leasehold homes and those who recover the cost of services through a service charge. Proposals include: 

• Landlords will be required to provide leaseholders with information in a standardised way. The consultation is looking at the details of how the information landlords will be required to provide leaseholders will be shared. Proposals include a new standardised annual report and service charge demand form.  
• More information will be available to leaseholders on request. The consultation is seeking views on the expansion of the amount of information on request that landlords must provide to leaseholders.
• A new prescribed service charge demand form for tenants who pay fixed, or variable service charges will be introduced. This will sit alongside a simplified version of the prescribed annual report and a bespoke list of prescribed information that landlords must provide on request.
• Reforms to the section 20 ‘major works’ procedure. This includes proposals for the landlord to prepare Asset Management Plans, mandating the creation of reserve funds.
• The consultation explores whether further protections are needed for people who pay fixed services charges, including the right to challenge their reasonableness at the appropriate tribunal.

It’s important that housing associations respond to the consultation, looking particularly at these key questions:

• What is the practicality of implementing the proposed requirements
• How much time will be needed for your organisation to transition to the new arrangements?
• Will new requirements incur additional set up and ongoing administration costs, and what will these be for your organisation?

Next steps

We’re urging our members to respond to the consultation and share their views with us, to inform our consultation response. It is important that the government hears your views and evidence, even if only a few of the questions are relevant to your work. You do not have to answer all the questions, only those relevant to your organisation.

You can download our briefing below, and catch up on our recent webinar online.

Please let us know your views by 8 September 2025, using the contact details below. The consultation closes on 26 September 2025.

NHF members can login to access the briefing.