Documentary exposes misery of leasehold system

BARRY Gardiner, MP Brent North, gets my vote every day of the week.

I’ve watched him speaking on the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill during the House of Commons Committee report stage and he was, undoubtedly the star of the show.

He was well prepared and his arguments against leasehold, which he rightly describes as “an outdated, draconian system that must be abolished”, were impressive.

He had clearly done his homework and is determined to fight for what is right.

This week, he went up even further in my estimation. He published a powerful and heart-rending documentary to back up his arguments and those of other campaigners. It shows the human cost of leasehold from ground rent and scandalously high service charges to combustible cladding and mould.

It is a great explainer for those who find the concept of leasehold and its use difficult to understand.

I’d urge everyone to watch it. It lasts 42 minutes and you can find the link at www. leaseholddoc.com

It tells the story of the millions of leaseholders now trapped in their own homes and unable to sell or move. Mr Gardiner and a camera crew travelled across the country to meet those affected.

I have to warn you, you might cry as I did but you will learn a lot and by the end you will wonder why, oh why, the misery goes on.

The MP states that the Government’s Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill is 133 pages of tinkering with a fundamentally unjust system, which needs abolishing not updating. He’s not wrong.

In Property Post this week we reveal why you might see some double listings for properties on Rightmove at different prices and we also have some tips on buying new builds, which are becoming increasingly popular thanks to their energy efficiency and promise of low maintenance, at least initially.