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Ending the Fleecehold: Leasehold & Building Safety Under the Spotlight
This Friday, Cladding Matters takes a closer look at leasehold reform and the bigger questions around building safety.
The Liberal Democrat Conference has just put these issues back into the headlines, with Housing and Planning spokesperson Gideon Amos MP leading the charge.
At the conference, Amos pressed home what so many leaseholders and freeholders already know: that “fleecehold” arrangements and rip-off management companies have created a great property scandal. Families are stuck with unfair service charges, hidden costs, and management firms that answer to nobody.
The motion that passed sets out clear policies to redress the balance, including professionalising and regulating the management sector and ending unreasonable fees. It is a welcome step forward for those who have battled the system for years.
Yet the conversation did not stop there. Amos went further, committing to push beyond the text of the motion itself.
He highlighted the estimated 1.7 million people still living in blocks of flats with unresolved structural or fire safety defects that remain outside the scope of the Building Safety Act. For those residents, life has been one of uncertainty, with unsafe homes they cannot sell, mortgages they cannot secure, and bills they cannot avoid.
He wants new legislation to close that gap, ensuring that all defects defined under the Act are tackled, and that remediation projects, whether developer funded or taxpayer backed, cover every safety risk.
What made this conference even more notable for Cladding Matters is that our very own Stephen Day, resident of Royal Artillery Quays, also addressed delegates.
His speech brought home the lived reality behind the policy detail, a reminder that these are not abstract issues but day to day struggles faced by ordinary people across the country.
From personal experience, Stephen gave voice to those still trapped in buildings riddled with defects, still waiting for justice years after Grenfell.
The presence of campaigners like Stephen alongside MPs such as Amos shows just how wide the call for change has become. Leaseholders and freeholders alike want fairness, transparency and above all safety.
There is growing recognition that reform cannot just be about tweaking fees or adjusting service charges. It must deal with the deeper issues, the defects in buildings themselves, the accountability of developers, and the effectiveness of government policy.
On Friday’s episode, chaired by Gareth Wax, we will be returning to these themes in depth. I will be there too, as conveyancing collaborator Hamish McLay, together with Stephen Day himself, who will share more about his speech and what it was like to speak at conference.
We will also be joined by Matt Hodges-Long, who brings his own experience and insights into the building safety crisis and the challenges that remain for residents across the country.
Alongside our panel of guests, we will explore whether the promises made can translate into lasting change, and whether the new momentum behind leasehold and building safety reform can finally bring relief to the millions who need it most.
Cladding Matters goes live this Friday at the slightly later time of 1.30pm. Join us for a conversation that connects the politics, the policy, and the personal stories at the heart of this debate.
Watch live or catch up later on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea
PS:
For content enquiries:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For podcast/media info:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Liberal Democrat Conference has just put these issues back into the headlines, with Housing and Planning spokesperson Gideon Amos MP leading the charge.
At the conference, Amos pressed home what so many leaseholders and freeholders already know: that “fleecehold” arrangements and rip-off management companies have created a great property scandal. Families are stuck with unfair service charges, hidden costs, and management firms that answer to nobody.
The motion that passed sets out clear policies to redress the balance, including professionalising and regulating the management sector and ending unreasonable fees. It is a welcome step forward for those who have battled the system for years.
Yet the conversation did not stop there. Amos went further, committing to push beyond the text of the motion itself.
He highlighted the estimated 1.7 million people still living in blocks of flats with unresolved structural or fire safety defects that remain outside the scope of the Building Safety Act. For those residents, life has been one of uncertainty, with unsafe homes they cannot sell, mortgages they cannot secure, and bills they cannot avoid.
He wants new legislation to close that gap, ensuring that all defects defined under the Act are tackled, and that remediation projects, whether developer funded or taxpayer backed, cover every safety risk.
What made this conference even more notable for Cladding Matters is that our very own Stephen Day, resident of Royal Artillery Quays, also addressed delegates.
His speech brought home the lived reality behind the policy detail, a reminder that these are not abstract issues but day to day struggles faced by ordinary people across the country.
From personal experience, Stephen gave voice to those still trapped in buildings riddled with defects, still waiting for justice years after Grenfell.
The presence of campaigners like Stephen alongside MPs such as Amos shows just how wide the call for change has become. Leaseholders and freeholders alike want fairness, transparency and above all safety.
There is growing recognition that reform cannot just be about tweaking fees or adjusting service charges. It must deal with the deeper issues, the defects in buildings themselves, the accountability of developers, and the effectiveness of government policy.
On Friday’s episode, chaired by Gareth Wax, we will be returning to these themes in depth. I will be there too, as conveyancing collaborator Hamish McLay, together with Stephen Day himself, who will share more about his speech and what it was like to speak at conference.
We will also be joined by Matt Hodges-Long, who brings his own experience and insights into the building safety crisis and the challenges that remain for residents across the country.
Alongside our panel of guests, we will explore whether the promises made can translate into lasting change, and whether the new momentum behind leasehold and building safety reform can finally bring relief to the millions who need it most.
Cladding Matters goes live this Friday at the slightly later time of 1.30pm. Join us for a conversation that connects the politics, the policy, and the personal stories at the heart of this debate.
Watch live or catch up later on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea
PS:
For content enquiries:
For podcast/media info:
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