The MP for Taunton and Wellington, Gideon Amos, has related harrowing stories of constituents hit by “the great British property rip-off.”
He was speaking during a House of Commons debate on leasehold and freehold issues affecting millions of properties in England.
Mr Amos, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on housing and communities, described the current system as “feudal.”
He said it “traps homeowners in a cycle of uncapped ground rents, exploitative charges and similarly unreasonable estate management fees.”
He highlighted escalating property service charges and criticised the government for dragging its heels on the introduction of urgently needed legislation.
“Recently, I heard from one constituent about their experience of leasehold service charges.
“When they purchased their property in 2022, the service charges were £1,700. In 2023 they rose to £2,600, which is a 52% increase.
“The next year they went up to £3,700, which is a further 43% increase. The following year—2025—they reached £5,010, which is another 34% increase.
“Overall, the service charges tripled in just three years, and for what?
“After a huge effort by residents asking to see quotes and invoices, it turns out that the answer was that it was for nothing — or rather for incompetence.”
Mr Amos added: “Eventually, through the right to manage, the residents appointed a new managing agent and got their charges back down to around £2,000.
“That means that over those four years, residents paid approximately £13,000 in service charges.
“If the charges had remained at the proper level, it would have been £2,000 a year, so they have overpaid by £5,000 each and they will never get that money back.
“The money went straight into the pockets of unregulated managers.
“That is the cost of delay — it is a real cost being borne by constituents of mine and other members.”
Mr Amos also raised the issue of so-called ‘fleecehold’ saying: “Freeholders often have even fewer rights to challenge estate management charges than those who have leases.
“The arrangements operate almost like leaseholds. Such residents pay double — both their council tax and estate management charges — and often receive a far worse service than those who live on estates with roads and open spaces fully adopted by a local authority, where the only charge is council tax.
“They have all the financial burdens of leasehold without the legal protections.
“Another constituent — a freeholder in Taunton — has been awaiting the regulations for years now so that he can take his case to tribunal.
“Even the rights that exist on paper are worthless without effective enforcement.
“Currently neither leaseholders nor those paying estate management charges have any easy way to ensure that their rights are upheld.”
Mr Amos said: “We have had over a year with the new Government in office. The evidence is overwhelming, and the solutions are clear.”
The Liberal Democrats are calling for:
A new property regulator.
Leaseholders to be enabled to get alternative quotes for maintenance.
A power for residents to act in common to take ownership of management companies and common areas.
The strengthening of councils’ powers to adopt, with resources from developers or landowners.
The capping of unreasonable service and estate management charges.
Mr Amos added: “Millions of leaseholders and freeholders are waiting. They have waited long enough.
“It is time for the Government to act and end what has become the great British property rip-off.”
