Andy Burnham unveils plan to end leasehold for 5 million homes in England and Wales

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has committed to introducing legislation that would allow approximately five million leasehold households in England and Wales to transition to commonhold home ownership, pledging to "reform this unfair system" in his first Commons appearance since taking office. The proposed Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill would ban new leasehold flats, replacing them with commonhold, where residents collectively own and manage their buildings. It also includes new protections against unfair ground rent charges and easier routes for existing leaseholders to switch systems. Burnham framed the reform as part of addressing the cost-of-living crisis, calling leasehold charges "unfair" and unavoidable. The bill would additionally grant homeowners a new right to request faster broadband connections. Property law expert Dr Cathy Sherry described leasehold as "deeply unfair" and supports the move to commonhold.