News from 16 July 2026
Read the current guide to tenancy rules in England.
The government announced plans on 15 July 2026 to introduce further leasehold protections as soon as possible from 2027. They concern service-charge information, building records and dispute costs, and are relevant both to owners of leasehold flats and those managing buildings.
What has been announced?
According to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the planned measures include a standardised service charge demand form with more detail about payments and what they cover. Landlords will also have to provide leaseholders with an annual report giving information about the building’s condition and plans for major works.
Leaseholders will be able to request specified building records, including fire safety information and invoices for maintenance work going back as far as six years. The government says the rules will include clear response timeframes.
The legal costs regime for disputes is also set to change. The aim is to stop leaseholders automatically facing a landlord’s legal costs without an opportunity to challenge them, while giving leaseholders a route to seek recovery of their own costs in appropriate cases.
These measures are not yet in force. The announcement says they will take effect as soon as possible from 2027, so the detailed regulations and commencement dates will be important.
Lease extensions and freehold purchases are also moving forward
The government has launched two further consultations connected with lease extensions and collective or individual freehold purchases. One covers valuation rates used in the new calculation method. The other looks at exceptions to the principle that each side bears its own process costs.
These consultations are part of a wider programme that includes a planned Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. The government says that bill will ban leasehold for new flats and cap ground rents at £250, but those proposals will depend on legislation and should not be treated as current law.
