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Conservative voters support scrapping leasehold, poll finds
A majority of Conservative voters are in favour of abolishing leasehold ownership, a poll has found.
The research was conducted by Opinium UK for campaign group Commonhold Now. It found that 60% of people who voted Conservative in 2019 supported scrapping the tenure.
In addition, 57% of people who voted Conservative in 2019 but no longer classify themselves as Conservative supporters also backed the abolition of leasehold.
The data comes as it was reported this week that the government would back down on plans to abolish the tenure, which sees residents take a mortgage to buy a long lease of a property ultimately owned by a freeholder, in favour of reforming the existing system.
According to The Guardian, housing secretary Michael Gove’s plan to end the ownership structure was quashed by Number 10, which felt it was too ambitious and unachievable before the 2024 election.
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Most voters in England and Wales (56%) supported abolition of leasehold, according to the new poll. Nearly half (49%) of voters in ‘red wall’ seats said they support scrapping leasehold. Meanwhile, 63% of voters in ‘blue wall’ seats wanted leasehold abolition.
Most flats in the UK are sold under a leasehold system, where residents buy a long lease on the flat which is still owned by the freeholder.
But the system has been criticised for allowing exploitation of leaseholders, who pay ground rent to the freehold investor and have no say over works to their building for which they are billed.
This has come into the spotlight in recent years as leaseholders are hit with fire safety costs resulting from the building safety crisis that has emerged since the Grenfell Tower fire.
As the years run down on the lease, they are also subject to costly renewals, with many mortgage lenders unwilling to lend on a term of less than 80 years.
Labour shadow housing secretary Lisa Nandy has previously backed scrapping leasehold.
Harry Scoffin, co-director of Commonhold Now, said: “Conservative voters have spoken and they want an end to toxic leasehold. It’s time for the party to listen and take action to deliver a fairer commonhold system. This aligns with Conservative values of promoting aspiration, individual responsibility and stakeholder capitalism.”
Karolina Zoltaniecka, founding director of Commonhold Now, said: “Homeownership means owning property outright and enjoying autonomy and control – not being dependent on commercial-building landlords. It’s time for the Conservative Party to reconnect with its roots and deliver these long-promised enfranchisement, commonhold and right to manage reforms.”
